Open AccessA Step Toward the Elucidation of Quantitative Laws of Nature
Author(s) -
Stephen R. Perry
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
stance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1943-1899
pISSN - 1943-1880
DOI - 10.33043/s.13.1.72-83
Subject(s) - natural (archaeology) , phenomenon , prandtl number , mathematics , physical law , natural phenomenon , boundary (topology) , natural science , boundary layer , mathematical analysis , epistemology , physics , mechanics , philosophy , geography , convection , archaeology
When we mathematically model natural phenomena, there is an assumption concerning how the mathematics relates to the actual phenomenon in question. This assumption is that mathematics represents the world by “mapping on” to it. I argue that this assumption of mapping, or correspondence between mathematics and natural phenomena, breaks down when we ignore the fine grain of our physical concepts. I show that this is a source of trouble for the mapping account of applied mathematics, using the case of Prandtl’s Boundary Layer solution to the Navier-Stokes equations.