Re: Is the universe a set? Probably not.

From: Christoph Schiller <christoph_schiller.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 01:36:14 -0700
('binary' encoding is not supported, stored as-is) What I meant with the word "is" in the title was:

"Is the most precise description of " the uniwerse a set?

I am not talking about ontology or epistemology, just about
experiments and comparison with theory.

Of course, both quantum theory and relativity *assume*
sets to start with; the whole point is that despite this,
when one takes them *together* (and in fact, it turns
out, only then) one can deduce that these sets make no sense.

I do not know how to think without sets, but I sure want to
know whether and how far this is possible. That is the real fun here.

It is said than one fallacy in the argument is that it is assumed
that all sets used in the physical description of nature are derived
from space-time and particle sets. I do not know of any others;
I'd thought that all are built up from these. I am *very*
curious if there are any other, independent sets. That is indeed
extremely important for the argument, and would kill it.

About simpler set theories. I am not sure whether there are
set theories without the assumption of distinguishability of
the elements. If so I'd like to know know more as well.

About the comment by Brent Meeker I find that the two equations
he gives directly lead to equation 28, that his statement is thus
incorrect. (Just insert them into each other)


                  Christoph


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Received on Mon Oct 16 2000 - 01:34:48 PDT

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