tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997122684601084176.post5354449183258754463..comments2010-12-18T16:21:40.937-08:00Comments on Rants and Raves: CuspsMatthew Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04746244586181659456noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997122684601084176.post-20815198741739430422010-10-29T01:16:03.560-07:002010-10-29T01:16:03.560-07:00Some physicists seem to think that the planck time...Some physicists seem to think that the planck time is actually the theoretical minimum time interval and that time is then passing in discrete "frames". I don't know how much legitimacy other scientists perceive in that theory, but there's definitely not a consensus.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03781449912274449083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997122684601084176.post-58684790778667876512010-10-25T17:59:08.006-07:002010-10-25T17:59:08.006-07:00Yeah, I that's why I said to my knowledge, bec...Yeah, I that's why I said to my knowledge, because currently we haven't gotten down that far under the microscope, but I agree with you about discrete values. It probably will turn out that it is that way or using completely new sets of physical laws or that a new, more accurate math is discovered.Matthew Gabrielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04746244586181659456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7997122684601084176.post-73592755845227801282010-10-25T12:59:29.340-07:002010-10-25T12:59:29.340-07:00Possibly true, but if we break things down to the ...Possibly true, but if we break things down to the (sub)atomic level, there may be discrete values rather than continuity. Perhaps everything is a piecewise function, but the pieces are small enough as to be construed as continuous on a macro- scale.<br /><br />We just got done talking about sketching derivatives given a graph of a function in calculus. It's hard to think of "actual" physical reasons for things like jump discontinuities or infinite asymptotes without going to some odd topology, so I tell the students to think of things like "warp gates" in video games and how you might run into one at one velocity but come out at another in another direction.<br /><br />Anyways, yeah, it is funny how we (mathematicians) spend forever trying to iron out the little "details" that are so hard to come to terms with (Cantor's set, for another example) when they seem to have very little real life application.CalcDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14039458440867020542noreply@blogger.com