Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

What is the basis for reason? And mathematics?

Moderators: AMod, iMod

Post Reply
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

If you're familiar with number theory, you may know what I mean. I'll give you a simple example so you can see what I'm driving at.

Say we have these two groups of numbers: (2,16,13,3) and (6,9,15,4). All the numbers are different from one another, right?

If you add up all the numbers in each group, you get 34, right? If you dot multiply the numbers by (1,2,3,4), here's what happens:

1•2 + 2•16 + 3•13 + 4•3 = 1•6 + 2•9 + 3•15 + 4•4 = 85,
right?

Now let's dot multiply by (4,3,2,1):

4•2 + 3•16 + 2•13 + 1•3 = 4•6 + 3•9 + 2•15 + 1•4 = 85,
right?

I could go further. Here's something no one would expect.
The numbers seem independent, yet they share certain properties (similar to quantum states in entanglement).
Why? Why do these numbers act entangled? (number theory is filled with many examples)

PhilX
Dalek Prime
Posts: 4922
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:48 am
Location: Living in a tree with Polly.

Re: Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

Post by Dalek Prime »

Numbers quantify. That's all they do. You can and will drive yourself to distraction if you seek another purpose which is not there. Patterns can be fun, and clearly useful, but you don't want to get into numerology. That's Bob's domain; finding the combination that unlocks the secrets of the universe.
Last edited by Dalek Prime on Mon Feb 22, 2016 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Re: Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

No, not numerology for me. Science is my basis.

PhilX
Dalek Prime
Posts: 4922
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:48 am
Location: Living in a tree with Polly.

Re: Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

Post by Dalek Prime »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:No, not numerology for me. Science is my basis.

PhilX
Not saying you are. I'm just saying it can lead one there.
osgart
Posts: 517
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 7:38 am

Re: Do numbers need to be compared with one another to understand them better?

Post by osgart »

thats actually interesting. Like the nature of mathematics is symmetrical. You would have to apply that to reality though and not just math. I thinks reality is not so cleanly mathematical yet very well manipulated by it.
Post Reply