Re: TI-M: Dimensions

To: ti-math@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: TI-M: Dimensions
From: CmdrERT01@aol.com
Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 20:53:12 EDT
Reply-To: ti-math@lists.ticalc.org


In a message dated 5/15/2000 7:31:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
nickd@nickd.org writes:

>  At 11:45 PM 5/15/2000 +0200, you wrote:
>  
>  >Well, the obvious way in which 4-dimensions are drawn is as projections 
> into
>  >a three-d world, and these are studied rather like we can study a shadow
>  >cast by a 3-d object onto a 2-d surface in order to work out what the 3-d
>  >object looks like.
>  >
>  >There are some charming books about flatland (2-d beings) published in
>  >Victorian times.
>  
>  Dimensions are just an arbitrary definiton thought up by humanity to make 
>  mathematics more simple.
>  Perhaps only three dimensions really *do* exist, and the fourth is just 
our 
>  attempt to explain the phenomenon of time.
>  
>  Does "time" exist, anyway?
>  
>  --
>  Nick Disabato <nickd@ticalc.org> <http://nickd.org>
>     News Editor, Featured Programs, Room Service
>     the ticalc.org project - http://www.ticalc.org/

"Time" isn't a definable quantity.  It just is.  We can divide it into 
discreet and arbitrary intervals like hours, minutes, and seconds, but those 
are nothing more than attempts to pin a label on something insubstantial.  
It's all relative (pardon the pun).

Eric Tollefson
Cmdr ERT01@aol.com