[sdiy] Is everything digital?

[Joe Franko]

Although this thread is getting fairly old now, and I've been holding back
from contributing more, I can't resist saying that most of the mathematics
involved comes from probabilistic models and from a branch of real analysis
called measure theory. So for me it is all, at its foundations, continuous,
at least in how we measure the phenomenon. I have no idea what the reality
is and leave that to the physicists. On the side of continuous (analogue)
versus discrete (digital), I believe that all of our measuring is continuous
in nature, though viewing it as discrete is sometimes helpful in simplifying
our equations and our models. A little like using radians to measure angles
leads to much simpler equations than using degrees.

I didn't really "get" continuous until I got to measure theory, and then it
all made sense. Ironically, my area of specialization in graduate school was
in logic programming, and it was only later when I got involved in measure
theory, probability, and stochastic models that I settled on a more analogue
view of the world. Prior to that, I thought everything might be more simply
seen from a digital model.

Lastly, is the question, "Is everything digital?", a valid question,
logically? Now my logic programming background comes into play and I think
it's logically equivalent to the question, "Is everything sexual?"
<grin...you may substitute your own term, as you wish. They are all
logically equivalent.> Asking if "everything" is anything is fraught with
logical peril. Attempting to settle such an argument with logic is illogical
and leads to several well-known paradoxes. Is everything sexual? You bet!

Joe
Who with the warm weather has spring fever, and who has abandoned all diy
projects so that he can be grading final exams on the back porch with a cup
of coffee and a beautiful view of lush green mountains.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of Ian Fritz
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 8:40 AM
To: Glen; xmurz at gmx.de; phillip m gallo
Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: RE: [sdiy] Is everything digital?


At 08:54 PM 5/15/05, Glen wrote:


>So Mr. friendly local physicist, is everything "digital" (or "quantized" if
>you prefer) when examined very closely?

Well, sonny, I don't reckon I can answer that very good.  The ole
Alzheimer's *and* the lumbago are really actin' up today.

I do seem to recollect, though, that folks usually describe them there
"macroscopic" systems by using somethin' called "statistercal
mechanics".  I'm mighty confused as to why you young folks don't talk about
that at all.  Mebe with all yer modren computers and all you don't need
them old fashioned idears.

Time fer some more "prunes" (or "dried plums" if you prefer).