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Max Tegmark1
(1) Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Received: 18 April 2007 Accepted: 2 October 2007 Published online: 8 November 2007
Abstract I explore physics implications of the External Reality Hypothesis (ERH) that there exists an external physical reality completely independent of us humans. I argue that with a sufficiently broad definition of mathematics, it implies the Mathematical Universe Hypothesis (MUH) that our physical world is an abstract mathematical structure. I discuss various implications of the ERH and MUH, ranging from standard physics topics like symmetries, irreducible representations, units, free parameters, randomness and initial conditions to broader issues like consciousness, parallel universes and Gödel incompleteness. I hypothesize that only computable and decidable (in Gödel’s sense) structures exist, which alleviates the cosmological measure problem and may help explain why our physical laws appear so simple. I also comment on the intimate relation between mathematical structures, computations, simulations and physical systems.
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Mathematics is a positive science and as such it does not deal with ontological issue. I am not sure how one can define mathematics so generally in order to deal with ontological issues. Such definition of mathematics is radically different from what we presently understand it to be. I suppose Tegmark can also "derive" with his new mathematics the notion a Creator, which is logically unavoidable, who brought everything into being.
Moorad
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Don Nield
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 10:13 PM
To: ASA
Cc: GMURPHY10@neo.rr.com
Subject: [asa] Tegmark and the mathematical universe
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Read Foundations of Physics for Free Until December 31
The article by Max Tegmark, The mathematical universe, 38(2) 101-150 may be of particular interest -- NASA, NSF and John Templeton Foundation grants are acknowledged. I would like to know what George Murphy thinks of this paper and its significance.
Don
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Received on Mon Nov 24 08:53:47 2008
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