It's often said that if we do make contact with Extra Terrestrials (ETs), e.g. detect a radio transmission from a distant galaxy through SETI, that maths would be one of the few things we would have in common with them. But - how similar would their maths actually be to ours?
Modern maths- with its many sizes of infinity and logical paradoxes, has lead to much debate and puzzlement over the last century or so. Would this be the same for ETs? And would it lead to many different ideas about maths and the philosophy of maths, as we have here, or would they find some other solution none of us have thought of?
Also, what if they experience time and space differently from us? Perhaps they can only reason using flashes of insight?
Or, perhaps topology is easy, but counting, for them, is an advanced concept few understand? Or perhaps they use quantum logic or some other logic we haven't thought of yet? Or, might they see everything as fractals?
With no experience of ET mathematicians, we haven't got much to go on. But, let's take a look at a few of the ways ET maths could take different approaches from ours, or be hard for us to understand.
This is meant as no more than a light hearted exploration of these ideas, and if it stimulates some interesting thoughts, I've more than done my job.
Modern maths- with its many sizes of infinity and logical paradoxes, has lead to much debate and puzzlement over the last century or so. Would this be the same for ETs? And would it lead to many different ideas about maths and the philosophy of maths, as we have here, or would they find some other solution none of us have thought of?
Also, what if they experience time and space differently from us? Perhaps they can only reason using flashes of insight?
Or, perhaps topology is easy, but counting, for them, is an advanced concept few understand? Or perhaps they use quantum logic or some other logic we haven't thought of yet? Or, might they see everything as fractals?
With no experience of ET mathematicians, we haven't got much to go on. But, let's take a look at a few of the ways ET maths could take different approaches from ours, or be hard for us to understand.
This is meant as no more than a light hearted exploration of these ideas, and if it stimulates some interesting thoughts, I've more than done my job.
