Continuity?

[Tim_Lou]

is our nature continuous? should it be continuous? or should it be discrete? what are the logics behind them?

 

relativity is based on space-time continuum. why should this assumption be true? is it simply mathematical conviences?

 

schrodinger equation proposed a continuous probability distribution of all matter, meaning that all things do not really exist in a well defined place, rather, they exist in a continuous spectrum. why must this wave equation be continuous?

 

however, quantum mechanics revealed the quantized nature of the world; things exist in certain discrete packages. similary, charges are discrete, 1 elementary charge, 1/3 elementary charge. does there exist a continuous spectrum of "charge probability distribution". Must all electron have EXACTLY 1 but not 1.0000000000000000000000000000001 charge??? does it make sense if it is exactly 1? should their exist uncertainty regarding fundamental properties like charges and quantized quantities like spin?

 

and what does it mean if a certain physical variable approaches discontinuity in a function? should this limit (approaching the discontinuity) still be well defined in the physical world? and what does it mean if things are discrete physically? is it merely limitation of observation methods that cuase things to be measured as discrete? or is discreteness simply an approximation of a continuum? or is continuity simply an approximation of the discrete nature of the world?

 

what do you think the "truth" is? "physics"-wise? philosophically? logically?

[ronthepon]

Your question about quantum charge is good.

 

If charges are not quantumised, then we have just been seeing particles holding a constant amount of charge and seeing integral multiples of these particles (a.k.a. electrons) in various matter.

 

Then we found quarks with fractional values of the earlierly considered quantum charges.

 

Ok. Fine. We get a new limit of quantum charge.

 

If electrons had a charge of 1.0000000000000000000000000000001 in whatever unit, again we have a different quantum limit.

 

Basic point is: The lowest charge carrying discrete particle we find will be our quantum charge.

 

But. What if some particles have a... say irrational multiple of the quantum charge or some thing like that? Say c^(1.00010001000010000001...)

 

Then?

[DarkColoredLight]

is our nature continuous? should it be continuous? or should it be discrete? what are the logics behind them?

 

relativity is based on space-time continuum. why should this assumption be true? is it simply mathematical conviences?

 

schrodinger equation proposed a continuous probability distribution of all matter, meaning that all things do not really exist in a well defined place, rather, they exist in a continuous spectrum. why must this wave equation be continuous?

 

however, quantum mechanics revealed the quantized nature of the world; things exist in certain discrete packages. similary, charges are discrete, 1 elementary charge, 1/3 elementary charge. does there exist a continuous spectrum of "charge probability distribution". Must all electron have EXACTLY 1 but not 1.0000000000000000000000000000001 charge??? does it make sense if it is exactly 1? should their exist uncertainty regarding fundamental properties like charges and quantized quantities like spin?

 

and what does it mean if a certain physical variable approaches discontinuity in a function? should this limit (approaching the discontinuity) still be well defined in the physical world? and what does it mean if things are discrete physically? is it merely limitation of observation methods that cuase things to be measured as discrete? or is discreteness simply an approximation of a continuum? or is continuity simply an approximation of the discrete nature of the world?

 

what do you think the "truth" is? "physics"-wise? philosophically? logically?

 

 

I honestly don't know what is going on in this thread. So it probably won't help to read this: You want to know the truth? I heard you say spectrum. Which got me to think of color. Find a relationship in the color spectrum, whether you use light or lack of light in the relationship, is up to your understanding of the color spectrum. Whether you have the ablitity to use light or lack of light in the relationship is up to your understanding in what you want to know as true.

 

 

Then, maybe we'll tackle UV and IR. Possibly attacking the relationship of what you want to know as true's invisible sides. Exposing those sides to the truth, if you will.

 

 

:hyper: ,:hihi: ,:doh: ,

DCL

[Tim_Lou]

Your question about quantum charge is good.

 

If charges are not quantumised, then we have just been seeing particles holding a constant amount of charge and seeing integral multiples of these particles (a.k.a. electrons) in various matter.

 

yeah but the reason why things are considered to be quantized is because the experiemnts always agree with it. would it be possible that charge is actually a continuous distribution... and the reason why we are seeing "1" charge is simply due to the fact that they the standard deviation of the charge distribution is so low and that all variation seems to be "1" charge (approximately)? Since no observation is perfect, how can one conclude that the charge is always and exactly "1" whatever unit?

 

basically, my question is. is discreteness truely discrete and is continuum truely continuous as far as our understandings of nature goes? and what exactly is our nature consists of? continuum or discreteness?

 

it seems that in the development of modern physics, discreteness is actually continuum (discrete object exists as waves) and continuum is actually discreteness (quantized energy and atomic orbits).

 

i think this is the major problem between relativity and quantum mechanics.

and i know that we do not have a very good answer as far as our understandings of physics goes... so perhaps we can discuss this philosophically.