Related papers: Infinity - A simple, but not too simple introducti…
Here we deconstruct, and then in a reasoned way reconstruct, the concept of "entropy of a system," paying particular attention to where the randomness may be coming from. We start with the core concept of entropy as a COUNT associated with…
Models of computation operating over the real numbers and computing a larger class of functions compared to the class of general recursive functions invariably introduce a non-finite element of infinite information encoded in an arbitrary…
Given a sequence converging to zero, we consider the set of numbers which are sums of (infinite, finite, or empty) subsequences. When the original sequence is not absolutely summable, the subsum set is an unbounded closed interval which…
Conceptors provide an elementary neuro-computational mechanism which sheds a fresh and unifying light on a diversity of cognitive phenomena. A number of demanding learning and processing tasks can be solved with unprecedented ease,…
In this paper we present a new mathematical conception based on a new method for ordering the integers. The method relies on the assumption that negative numbers are beyond infinity, which goes back to Wallis and Euler. We also present a…
An informal guide to the history of Heisenberg's matrix mechanics. It is designed for mathematicians with only a minimal background in either physics or geometry, and it is based upon Heisenberg's original arguments.
Based on the conjecture that rather than the second law of thermodynamics inevitably be breached as matter approaches a big crunch or a black hole singularity, the order of events should reverse, a model of the universe that resolves a…
A celebrated unresolved conjecture of Peter Frankl states that every finite union-closed collection of sets ($B$), with non-empty universe, admits an abundant element. The best result in the literature states that if $|B|=n$, then there…
This is a short introductory course to Set Theory, based on axioms of von Neumann--Bernays--G\"odel (briefly NBG). The text can be used as a base for a lecture course in Foundations of Mathematics, and contains a reasonable minimum which a…
Although Bolzano's concept of the continuum has gradually evolved, the basis remained the same: the continuum as an infinite class of points arranged in such a way that the so-called \emph{Bolzano completeness} holds. Bolzano realized over…
The 20th century has revealed two important limitations of scientific knowledge. On the one hand, the combination of Poincar\'e's nonlinear dynamics and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle leads to a world picture where physical reality is,…
The purpose of this paper is to elucidate, by means of concepts and theorems drawn from mathematical logic, the conditions under which the existence of a multiverse is a logical necessity in mathematical physics, and the implications of…
A fundamental problem of Einstein's theory of classical general relativity is the existence of singularities such as the big bang. All known laws of physics end at these boundaries of classical space-time. Thanks to recent developments in…
We suggest a new explanation for the observed large scale flatness, homogeneity and isotropy of the universe. The basic ingredients are elementary and well-known, namely Einstein's theory of gravity and Hawking's method of computing…
Our aim in this paper is to take quite seriously Heinz Post's claim that the non-individuality and the indiscernibility of quantum objects should be introduced right at the start, and not made a posteriori by introducing symmetry…
If the universe is infinite now it has always been infinite. This is the opinion of many astronomers today as can be concluded from the following series of interviews, but the opinions differ much more than I had expected. Many astronomers…
These notes aim to give a gentle account to one approach to the theory of finite sets without making use of the natural numbers. They were written to be used as the basis for a student seminar. There are no real prerequisites except for a…
We obtain partial progress towards answering the question of whether the quantity defined in the Mondrian Puzzle can ever equal 0. More specifically, we obtain a nontrivial lower bound for the cardinality of the set $\{n\leq x: M(n)\neq0…
Einstein wrote memorably that `The eternally incomprehensible thing about the world is its comprehensibility.' This paper argues that the universe must be comprehensible at some level for information gathering and utilizing subsystems such…
Incomputability as a mathematical notion arose from work of Alan Turing and Alonzo Church in the 1930s. Like Turing himself, it attracted less attention than it deserved beyond the confines of mathematics. Today our experiences in computer…