Mathmatics and Reality

I can delve into theories and understand concepts.. and im just going out on a limb.. many questions i have

is math not just a measurement of reality?
i mean.. can everything be explained by a simple equation?
how does math relate to reality in conceptual, non mathmatical terms?
is math to be seen as a proof of physical reality as we percieve it?
does math describe the reality we cannot percieve?

i read about strings and membrances and knots.. and if time exists..
i mean.. i follow the theories for the most part.. but dont see how anything can ever be proven physically.
thats not completely acurate but i hope you can understand what im saying.

or is that what everyone is striving for.. to understand the theory.. see how it all correlates.. then work to find physical proof? or is it the thought that the math proves the reality?

see the effects.. And explain it with the math..
or work out the math then work to see that the effect corellates.

im probably just jumbled in my thoughts even mooe at this point..
will love to see any responces tho.

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i guess ill make a point that im not trying to invalidate math..
accurate, valid math is non negotiable.. simplistic example..
1+1 = 2..

but i know the + means "plus" in english
and = means "equals"

so why not say one plus one equals two..

if i wanted to have someone that has never seen "+" or "=", or numbers.. but knows the english language well.. i would say as above..
they would then understand..

but then i get lost when letters represent numbers.. im freakin horrible at math.. but that is not my point..

ultimately could one take a very advanced equation used in quantum mechanics.. and convert the symbolism to english words..
i think so.. but you dont see that much..
so without knowing the advanced mathematical symbolism.. what symbols mean what.. it makes a page of text come to a single line.. an equation.. much more efficient when explaining to someone that knows that language.. but you can only understand it if your astute in those mathmatical terms used.

i want to understand mathmatical equations but without learning another language.. i think thats the root of this whole thing..

"if u want to learn mathmatics.. then learn mathmatics.. not english.."
or any other language.. bleh.. dont even knwo why im continuing this post, heh.

What's so amazing about maths is that it seems to be, in some fundamental way, the language of nature. All kinds of mathematics were developed in a purely abstract way just out of intellectual curiosity, but later turned out to be precisely what was needed to describe some new physical phenomenon. Maths isn't just the product of the human mind - it reflects something deep about the way the world works. Reality, in some sense, *is* mathematics.

nicely said, Jim!

i dont debate anything you said..

and alot of thought has lead me to concluse ultimately what you have articulated quite well.. my second post was so far from my first, and was more whining than anything..

more like "i wish i could understand maths instantly!! waa.. write it in english!" horrible i know..

thanks very much for the post.

If you're interested in maths I can probably help point you in the right direction. What sort of stuff interests you? I can give ATS exclusive on-line math lectures! ;-p

my downfall is the linguistics of math.. i am a man of basic logic and reason.. in simplistic basic terms..

but i dont want to have to spend years understand waht certain symbols of math mean.. to understand an advanced mathmatical equation..

i would like it to be broken down when the maths are presented.. which is not only illogical.. but would be tedious to the point of madness to every advanced mathmetician if they had to do that every tiem they wrote a paper.. it would end up being a book every time.. and too much time would be spent on it..

its a wish.. not something i want to happen.. but i wish could be feasible and logical.

it isnt, and its not.

im interested in the maths, but i want not to take the many years it would take me to learn it, to learn it.

like saying i want a "theory of everything" to come to me instantly.. as a layman.. and understand the universe instantly without any effort to do so..

one i realized what made me make the first post i instantly cringed at the fact that i had made it.. luckily it took less time to understand that than to understand quantum physiscs.. im still in that endeavor.

Its all about the golden ratio!!!!!!

Read up on that. Everything is a pattern, a re-occuring patern

Just like warming, cooling, warming, cooling, warming. oh thats another thread!

...can everything be explained by a simple equation?

Many detailed mathematical models need to make assumptions which cannot be proved.

I believe that as long as we make such an assumption in our mathematical model, we cannot deem it to be a true explanation of 'everything.'

Perhaps if we gain a better understanding of mathematical concepts such as infinity (and zero, or the infinitesimal), we might get much closer to being able to explain 'everything' mathematically.

traderonwallst - Being a student of design, I well know about the golden ration, and I agree that it is interesting.

Saurus - thanks much for that. Never really thought about it in that way.

-G