2006-12-19 20:51:57 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Laymen might, but as any who may have tread the true waters of mathematics will know there is no 'certainty' in mathematics.
What with logical dilemmas, regularisations and normalisations, non linear analysis and sometimes the inability to make grand generalisations by analytic methods, etc. that all bear down upon us, one can say that mathematicians of all orders are some of the most 'on the verge' people on the planet.
2006-12-20 02:00:39 · answer #1 · answered by yasiru89 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A resounding 'NO!' is the answer.
Mathematics is only clear cut down in the remedial stages most of us come to grips with 2 + 2 = 4 etc - If you did a degree in maths you'd hear how Kurt Godel turned the mathematics world upside down by proving that you couldnt show that an equation was possible or impossible to solve - so not only are some equations too difficult to solve - they wont know if they're possible IN PRINCIPLE to solve - like if we went on a few billion more decimal digits along Pi would it just end? Nobody knows.
I think there may be something behind an answer 'yes' - some physicists and mathematicians subscrible to a platonic idea that mathetmatics is somehow out there - like fractals - nobody believes we could invent something like that but what it actually means to say it exists somewhere in some realm of mathematical perfection - well, the scientists will try not to talk about it because they'd sound insane - Roger Penrose is one physicist (and a very distinguised one) who has made the mistake of explicitly suggesting such things and that when we 'know' something its because we're in touch with some abstract realm of perfect truth - thats one reason why a lot of other scientists consider him a fount of utter nonsense.
2006-12-20 06:56:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pure mathematicians maybe. Can't imagine it working for statisticians, unless they find comfort in being able to quantify uncertainty.
I have a degree in mathematics, and I like uncertainty. I like having tools to quantify and communicate uncertainty. But I also have to admit that I never saw mathematics as a "safe haven". It's too big and scary.
2006-12-20 07:27:11 · answer #3 · answered by moblet 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Dont think so, although you can argue that maths creates order in a chaotic world.
But, even with all the math and science, there is still a requirement for randomness or numbers which explain everything like Pi, which are not particular smooth numbers, if that makes sense.
But, after a bad day at work i could not really see somebody ploughing through a few sides of partial differentiaton.
2006-12-20 04:56:02 · answer #4 · answered by dsclimb1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's quite the opposite, the prospect of discovery in math is quite an unsafe feeling. You don't often know if a solution even exists and that is quite nerve-wrecking. Unless of course, you are talking about lower level computational maths, but real mathematicians don't do that. If you want a predictable job, don't be in math.
2006-12-20 08:50:58 · answer #5 · answered by Professor Maddie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It has been mathematically proven that some things can never be proofed by mathematics.
2006-12-20 05:54:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe not ... there's still lots to discover, mathematically, too.
Like infinity.
2006-12-20 04:54:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No i certainly don't feel safer with an equation
2006-12-20 09:12:43 · answer #8 · answered by Bobby 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No-one is safe from the Googleplex, and it's driving me mad calculating the final number..... ;~)
2006-12-20 05:02:40 · answer #9 · answered by dawn 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That would explain a lot about mathematicians!
2006-12-20 04:59:43 · answer #10 · answered by Red Dragon 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋