Questions about mathematics as a deductive system

In summary, mathematics is a deductive system in which mathematical statements follow as a logical consequence from axioms and other statements. This includes the real number system and Euclidean geometry. Doing arithmetic and working with theorems in these systems can be seen as a "game of logic," but their usefulness and accuracy in real life is not always guaranteed. The axioms of these systems are chosen with the aim of mathematizing natural observations, and through deductions, they can lead to a better understanding of the world around us. However, if a statement derived from the axioms does not match with observations, it can still provide valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of our mathematical models. The evolution
  • #1
LittleRookie
21
3
Hello, I have a few questions about mathematics as a deductive system in which mathematical statements follow as a logical consequence from axioms and other statements. In particular, consider the real number system and Euclidean geometry.

Is doing arithmetic with numbers and working on theorems that follow deductively from axioms of Euclidean geometry simply a "game of logic"? The real numbers and Euclidean geometry are useful and accurate in real life. Why is that so? One idea I could think of is that axioms of real numbers and Euclidean geometry are not chosen without any meaning. They are set up with the aim of mathematizing natural observations. So how do the axioms eventually lead to mathematizing natural observations?

Say the axioms are literally descriptions of our world. Then I guess the deductions of the axioms will also describe our world closely. What happens if we derive from the axioms a statement that is different from observations in our world? (Have this occurred in Euclidean geometry?)
 
Last edited:
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #2
LittleRookie said:
Hello, I have a few questions about mathematics as a deductive system in which mathematical statements follow as a logical consequence from axioms and other statements. In particular, consider the real number system and Euclidean geometry.

Is doing arithmetic with numbers and working on theorems that follow deductively from axioms of Euclidean geometry simply a "game of logic"? The real numbers and Euclidean geometry are useful and accurate in real life. Why is that so? One idea I could think of is that axioms of real numbers and Euclidean geometry are not chosen without any meaning. They are set up with the aim of mathematizing natural observations. So how do the axioms eventually lead to mathematizing natural observations?

Your question is one that many people have asked. Try, for example:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unreasonable_Effectiveness_of_Mathematics_in_the_Natural_Sciences
 
  • #4
LittleRookie said:
I read the page in the past, but I didn't get much out of it. Can you help me with my questions instead? I really want to know!

LittleRookie said:
Is doing arithmetic with numbers and working on theorems that follow deductively from axioms of Euclidean geometry simply a "game of logic"?
It was, until we needed e.g. encryption and encoding.
The real numbers and Euclidean geometry are useful and accurate in real life. Why is that so?
This is not so. With a few exceptions, the ratio between circumference and diameter of a circle, or the growth rate of e.g. bacteria, real numbers are quite irrelevant in real life, rationals will do. Nobody actually needs ##\sqrt{2}\in \mathbb{R}##. ##1.41## will be significant enough for your carpet.
One idea I could think of is that axioms of real numbers and Euclidean geometry are not chosen without any meaning. They are set up with the aim of mathematizing natural observations. So how do the axioms eventually lead to mathematizing natural observations?
Our world is flat like a board, hence the Euclidean geometry. Lengths have been introduced as ratios between two distances, hence the terms rational and irrational. The reals only came into play since people refused to stop cutting lengths into smaller parts and continued infinitely.
Say the axioms are literally descriptions of our world. Then I guess the deductions of the axioms will also describe our world closely. What happens if we derive from the axioms a statement that is different from observations in our world?
Then we learn something about the capability and the limits of our models to describe the real world, e.g. Banach-Tarski.
(Have this occurred in Euclidean geometry?)
Yes. When people like e.g. Gauß measured the real world in greater distances, Euclidean geometry was no longer valid and non Euclidean geometry has been established. The wording different from our observations doesn't mean anything. How can the notion of e.g. a long exact cohomological sequence be an observation? We enhanced our axioms as our observations became better and more detailed, not the other way around.
 
  • Like
Likes LittleRookie
  • #5
LittleRookie said:
The real numbers and Euclidean geometry are useful and accurate in real life. Why is that so? One idea I could think of is that axioms of real numbers and Euclidean geometry are not chosen without any meaning. They are set up with the aim of mathematizing natural observations. So how do the axioms eventually lead to mathematizing natural observations?

You should think of it as Nature and human beings creating mathematics by inventing useful axioms, not as pre-existing axioms leading to the mathematics and workings of Nature. A set of axioms that didn't describe some natural phenomena wouldn't be popular among applied mathematicians.

We could imagine different axiom systems competing for popularity among the community of mathematicians and scientists. Those that work best would kept alive and taught. Those that were ineffective and awkward would be discarded. Whether this Darwinian vision is correct is a topic for people who study intellectual history, in particular the history of math and science.

People who study mathematics intensively usually think of mathematical structures as existing independently of any natural phenomena that are examples of such structures. So the popularity of different axiom systems is not simply a question of which axiom systems describe Nature well. There is a feedback effect. People want mathematics that is useful for describing mathematical structures as abstractions.
 
  • Like
Likes LittleRookie
  • #6
Stephen Tashi said:
You should think of it as Nature and human beings creating mathematics by inventing useful axioms, not as pre-existing axioms leading to the mathematics and workings of Nature. A set of axioms that didn't describe some natural phenomena wouldn't be popular among applied mathematicians.

I totally agree, this is how I view Mathematics now (but not so in the past), which leads to a few questions in this thread that I've recently posted.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...n-elementary-euclidean-plane-geometry.982441/

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a reply that I'm looking for. Can you kindly take a look at the thread and help me? Thank you!
 
Last edited:
  • #7
LittleRookie said:
I totally agree, this is how I view Mathematics now (but not so in the past), which leads to a few questions in this thread that I've recently posted.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...n-elementary-euclidean-plane-geometry.982441/

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a reply that I'm looking for. Can you kindly take a look at the thread and help me? Thank you!

I've looked at that thread. As I understand it, you ask for physical examples that illustrate certain mathematical statements. Your introductory remarks indicate that you think the proper way to study mathematics is find such examples for theorems, axioms, and defnitions before studying the logical connection between them. Of course, if you are studying mathematics as a hobby, you can adopt whatever style of studying you want. However, if you are studying mathematics with some career goals in mind, you are making a mistake if you expect this approach to always work.

Looking to Nature as the cause for mathematical definitions and theorems develops intuition, but Mathematics is essentially legalistic, not an exercise in intuition.

As to your questions in that thread:

For 1) and 2), if you do much mechanical drawing, these statements, these statements will seem obvious. However, whether there are situations in Nature where these statements are (exactly) true is unclear, because the geometry of the physical world is not known to be Euclidean.

As to 3), you would have to associate some quantifiable Natural phenomena with the sequence ##\{1/n\}##, such as volumes of water and imagine a sequence of events taking place in time, like a basin emptying. However, this type of intuition is actually a hinderence to understanding the mathematical definition for the limit of a sequence. The mathematical definition does not refer to a process taking place in time or in a series of "steps". The formal definition of the limit of a sequence uses the quantifiers "For each ...there exists..." It resembles a legal contract, not a description of basin emptying.
 
  • Like
Likes fresh_42
  • #8
Stephen Tashi said:
Looking to Nature as the cause for mathematical definitions and theorems develops intuition, but Mathematics is essentially legalistic, not an exercise in intuition.
There is a fundamental difference between mathematics and physics, indeed. Physics is a descriptive science, math a Geisteswissenschaft, normative and deductive.

Many mathematical developments originated from physical problems, but by far not all. Sometimes it was even the other way around: physicists looked whether mathematicians already had an appropriate tool.

I like to say it this way: Physics cannot prove that the apple will always fall towards the ground, just because it wasn't observed otherwise. Mathematics, however, can prove that it will always fly up in the sky, by assuming an according framework.
 
  • #9
What I think is even more interesting is the way that a "mathematical system" (axioms, postulates, theorems) that were developed for one purpose can be applied to a completely different purpose. For example, Newton and Leibniz developed the Calculus in order to answer questions related to planetary orbits, yet now we use Calculus to solve problems in Economics.
 
  • Like
Likes LittleRookie

1. What is a deductive system in mathematics?

A deductive system in mathematics is a logical framework that uses a set of axioms and rules of inference to derive conclusions from given premises. It is a formal system that allows for the systematic and rigorous development of mathematical theories and proofs.

2. How does mathematics use deductive reasoning?

Mathematics uses deductive reasoning by starting with a general statement or set of assumptions (axioms) and applying logical rules to arrive at a specific conclusion. This process is used to prove theorems and establish the truth of mathematical statements.

3. What are some examples of deductive systems in mathematics?

Some examples of deductive systems in mathematics include propositional logic, predicate logic, and set theory. These systems provide a formal language and rules of inference for reasoning about mathematical concepts and structures.

4. What is the role of axioms in a deductive system?

Axioms are the starting points or assumptions in a deductive system. They are statements that are accepted as true without requiring proof. The rules of inference are then used to derive new statements from these axioms, leading to the development of mathematical theories and proofs.

5. Why is mathematics considered a deductive science?

Mathematics is considered a deductive science because it relies on the use of deductive reasoning to prove theorems and establish the truth of mathematical statements. It is a systematic and logical approach to understanding and solving mathematical problems.

Similar threads

Replies
72
Views
4K
Replies
12
Views
1K
Replies
13
Views
1K
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
600
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
15
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • General Math
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
33
Views
5K
  • Set Theory, Logic, Probability, Statistics
Replies
13
Views
924
Back
Top