What is the relationship between Mathematics and Physics?

[matt grime]

For a mathematican the 4th dimension (for example) is an extension of cartesian space into the complex plane.

No it's not.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Very nice question ! I'm answering as a physicist, the answer is that there is no different in fact, because the physics is called the in past the mathematics of the nature, and in this century we see that mathematics has become bigger and bigger and reached a very giant levels, that's why they spreaded them into 2 parts named physics and mathematics,

and if you can observe this, every physics scientist is a mathematics scientist also, like Gauss, Airy, Fresnel, ... and too many others, while you can't see or in little cases that chemistry people aren't friends with maths or physics, and the one who hate mathematics will hate also physics

AND TAKE THIS FOR NOTE, THE PHYSICIST WHO HATE OR DON'T LIKE MATHEMATICS IS A LOOOOOOSER, AND CAN DO NOTHING WITH HIS SCIENCE :P thanks for reading my nonsense :P:P:P:P

I'm glad you recognize that this is nonsense. I was concerned until I read your last line.

Every physicist uses mathematics- that is very far from being a mathematician. And liking mathematics also does not make one a mathematician.

 

[dx]

To do physics you need to look at the world closely. To do mathematics, your common experience is enough.

 

[madmike159]

hello all, this is my first post, i hope that the answer below helps someone understand this subject a little more.

Mathematics and Physics are not the same thing, although physics does employ mathematics to make it's models of nature.
For a mathematican the 4th dimension (for example) is an extension of cartesian space into the complex plane.
For a physicist the 4th dimension is bound up with space time as with Einstein's special and general relativity. The math the physicist employs is actually quite different as it is necessarily constrained by the behaviour of natural phenomena, a limit to the velocity of light, time dilation etc.
Mathematics, on the other hand, has no such constraints, it is limited instead to various infinities and singularities which arise out of the numbers alone.
There are ways to talk about one in terms of the other, but the difference is more than can be accounted for by simply substituting labels.

I think this is the best explanation for it. Maths is used to help explain physics in a way you couldn't in words. We can understand classical physics without maths (most of the time) because it is just predictions about every day things. When you start talking about other dimensions, infinity and sub atomic particles we can't imagine it. Maths can be used to describe these things which we can't see/imagine.

 

[EsX_rAptOr]

The best way to tackle this dilemma is to think of Mathematics and Physics as follows:

Mathematics is the science of patterns. That is, it is completely based on logical and general abstractions of reasoning. All of its principles are solely founded on the relationships between these abstractions or patterns--it takes nothing else into consideration, but it rather pulls itself up from its shoelaces, so to speak. It is an ideal or romantic science, if I may.

Physics is the science of the reality we live in; it is a means to the understanding of the mechanics of this realm. It makes use of the great tool of Mathematics to corroborate itself in terms of the actual, empirical observations carried out and collected by Physicists. But unlike Mathematics, it is factual rather than purely logical; Physics does not necessarily have to be logical (think wormholes).

One is perfect, the other is real. But since we live in a universe that is far from perfect and like to compare real things to perfect models, Mathematics and Physics go hand in hand like twins.

 

[disregardthat]

marsCubed probably gave the best answer here. We can't ask where to draw the line between mathematics and physics anymore than we can ask where to draw the line between mathematics and logic, there simply is no boundary which separates the two. "In physics, we use mathematics to..." is the proper way of describing the relationship between physics and mathematics.