Quote:
Originally posted by RatherThanWords
yes! Mathematics is an absolute for one reason and one reason only. Math exists only in our minds. As soon as math is applied to science, it no longer becomes absolute. For example, nothing can measure absolutely 1 cm. It can be 1 cm or 1.0 cm or 1.00 cm. but an exact 1 would be 1.000000000000000000 with zeroes out to infinity (which is a direction, not a number), which is impossible.
I do agree that anything that exists SOLELY in our minds can be absolute.
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ummmm....
1cm = 1.0cm = 1.00cm = 1.000000000000cm
Again we are talking about notation. However, I do agree with you that we cannot measure things completely accurately. We only ever measure to a required accuracy. Eg, when constructing a chair, a carpenter would be happy with a measurement of 1cm correct to one decimal place. Fractions of milimeters are to the carpenter negligible.
But just because we cannot measure the length of something exactly doesn't mean that it doesn't have an absolute length.