Questions tagged [infinity]
Use for questions about the properties, nature, or definition of infinitude.
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Is infinity a number?
So I've been on a number of math fora, part of learning some calculus (not much of set theory, no). To my surprise I found what I would describe as strong resistance from some folks against (using) ...
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Need help understanding how certain mathemetical statements across the landscape can seemingly contradict (e.g. Cantor-Hume vs Euclid)
Here are the main components to my understanding on this issue:
Almost all of math can be given in a foundation of set theory
Different math can seemingly contradict, e.g. in Euclidean geometry ...
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Is it Possible to have infinite finites
As far as I see, there are only three ways to have infinity apples in the present.
they existed eternally
they materialized at an infinite rate
they were added one apple at a time every second from ...
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Is there any major benefit to using NAND in infinitary logic?
In infinitary logic (there's an SEP entry about it), you can have infinitely long conjunctions and disjunctions. But imagine that different logics are like different video games. Usually, to my ...
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Final Steps and Zeno's Paradox
In the SEP article on supertasks, it states that:
Max Black (1950) argued that it is nevertheless impossible to complete the Zeno task, since there is no final step in the infinite sequence. The ...
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Is infinite regress of causation possible? Is infinite regress of causation necessary?
For a number of reasons — including perhaps a desire to feel that we have a complete understanding of where we came from, or at least an understanding which is completely sufficient for all of ...
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Is the B-theory of time only compatible with an infinitely renewing cyclical reality?
I'm not a mathematician and I may be misunderstanding some aspects of this concept.
According to the B-theory of time, the flow of time is an illusion, and every point in time exists equally. If this ...
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Is infinity a concept or a word empty of meaning?
I'm wondering if infinity is a concept.
We know from experience that there are things for which one cannot reach the end. A long way through the space is an example. One cannot reach the end of the ...
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Is there an alternative to Cantor's cardinalities that makes proper subsets smaller than their sets?
Cantor defined an infinite set as a set whose subset can be placed in a one-to-one correspondence with its subset. That is, take the set of all natural numbers: {0, 1, 2, 3, 4,...}. From that set, you ...
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If something exists, does everything exist?
Has anyone argued this? I haven't formulated a coherent argument, so I'm just throwing this out there to see if anyone has thought about this already.
Intuitively, I think it makes sense that ...
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How should eternity affect the plausibility of an agent’s existence?
Suppose the concept of God wasn’t eternal. There was some mechanism, perhaps even simpler than God, that gave rise to His existence. Is this more or less plausible than Him eternally existing?
What ...
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Are infinitesimals in the Newton and Leibniz calculus potential or actual?
Was reading a bit about history of calculus and its philosophy and stumbled into source of confusion: were infinitesimals in seventeenth century calculus assumed to be actual or potential? Was there ...
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A thought process: understanding infinite density (black hole) from a temporal stance using a hypothetical Ouroboros [closed]
The two main focus questions:
Could a snake theoretically devour itself whole?
Does a black whole actually have infinite density and zero volume?
Everything below is just extra explanatory steps on ...
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Is there some sort of disconnect between the math we use and our "observed phenomena" in reality?
So my question comes from two questions on this site one of them being my own, How small can we measure space? and Is the (surprising) applicability of mathematics to the physical world a brute fact ...
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Is there such a thing as ωth-order infinitary logic?
I've seen references to ωth-order logic sprinkled (sparsely) throughout my studies, though what properties this has compared to and contrasted with nth-order logics I wouldn't be able to tell you (I'm ...
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