The paper resolves the great debate of the 20th century between the three philosophies of mathematics-logicism, intuitionism and formalism—founded by Bertrand Russell and A. N. Whitehead, L. E. J. Brouwer and David H...The paper resolves the great debate of the 20th century between the three philosophies of mathematics-logicism, intuitionism and formalism—founded by Bertrand Russell and A. N. Whitehead, L. E. J. Brouwer and David Hilbert, respectively. The issue: which one provides firm foundations for mathematics? None of them won the debate. We make a critique of each, consolidate their contributions, rectify their weakness and add our own to resolve the debate. The resolution forms the new foundations of mathematics. Then we apply the new foundations to assess the status of Hilbert’s 23 problems most of which in foundations and find out which ones have been solved, which ones have flawed solutions that we rectify and which ones are open problems. Problem 6 of Hilbert’s problems—Can physics be axiomatized?—is answered yes in E. E. Escultura, Nonlinear Analysis, A-Series: 69(2008), which provides the solution, namely, the grand unified theory (GUT). We also point to the resolution of the 379-year-old Fermat’s conjecture (popularly known as Fermat’s last theorem) in E. E. Escultura, Exact Solutions of Fermat’s Equations (Definitive Resolution of Fermat’s Last Theorem), Nonlinear Studies, 5(2), (1998). Likewise, the proof of the 274-year-old Goldbach’s conjecture is in E. E. Escultura, The New Mathematics and Physics, Applied Mathematics and Computation, 138(1), 2003.展开更多
The main design of this paper is to determine once and for all the true nature and status of the sequence of the prime numbers, or primes—that is, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, and so on. The ma...The main design of this paper is to determine once and for all the true nature and status of the sequence of the prime numbers, or primes—that is, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, and so on. The main conclusion revolves entirely around two points. First, on the one hand, it is shown that the prime sequence exhibits an extremely high level of organization. But second, on the other hand, it is also shown that the clearly detectable organization of the primes is ultimately beyond human comprehension. This conclusion runs radically counter and opposite—in regard to both points—to what may well be the default view held widely, if not universally, in current theoretical mathematics about the prime sequence, namely the following. First, on the one hand, the prime sequence is deemed by all appearance to be entirely random, not organized at all. Second, on the other hand, all hope has not been abandoned that the sequence may perhaps at some point be grasped by human cognition, even if no progress at all has been made in this regard. Current mathematical research seems to be entirely predicated on keeping this hope alive. In the present paper, it is proposed that there is no reason to hope, as it were. According to this point of view, theoretical mathematics needs to take a drastic 180-degree turn. The manner of demonstration that will be used is direct and empirical. Two key observations are adduced showing, 1), how the prime sequence is highly organized and, 2), how this organization transcends human intelligence because it plays out in the dimension of infinity and in relation to π. The present paper is part of a larger project whose design it is to present a complete and final mathematical and physical theory of rational human intelligence. Nothing seems more self-evident than that rational human intelligence is subject to absolute limitations. The brain is a material and physically finite tool. Everyone will therefore readily agree that, as far as reasoning is concerned, there are things that the brain can do and things that it cannot do. The search is therefore for the line that separates the two, or the limits beyond which rational human intelligence cannot go. It is proposed that the structure of the prime sequence lies beyond those limits. The contemplation of the prime sequence teaches us something deeply fundamental about the human condition. It is part of the quest to Know Thyself.展开更多
文摘The paper resolves the great debate of the 20th century between the three philosophies of mathematics-logicism, intuitionism and formalism—founded by Bertrand Russell and A. N. Whitehead, L. E. J. Brouwer and David Hilbert, respectively. The issue: which one provides firm foundations for mathematics? None of them won the debate. We make a critique of each, consolidate their contributions, rectify their weakness and add our own to resolve the debate. The resolution forms the new foundations of mathematics. Then we apply the new foundations to assess the status of Hilbert’s 23 problems most of which in foundations and find out which ones have been solved, which ones have flawed solutions that we rectify and which ones are open problems. Problem 6 of Hilbert’s problems—Can physics be axiomatized?—is answered yes in E. E. Escultura, Nonlinear Analysis, A-Series: 69(2008), which provides the solution, namely, the grand unified theory (GUT). We also point to the resolution of the 379-year-old Fermat’s conjecture (popularly known as Fermat’s last theorem) in E. E. Escultura, Exact Solutions of Fermat’s Equations (Definitive Resolution of Fermat’s Last Theorem), Nonlinear Studies, 5(2), (1998). Likewise, the proof of the 274-year-old Goldbach’s conjecture is in E. E. Escultura, The New Mathematics and Physics, Applied Mathematics and Computation, 138(1), 2003.
文摘The main design of this paper is to determine once and for all the true nature and status of the sequence of the prime numbers, or primes—that is, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, and so on. The main conclusion revolves entirely around two points. First, on the one hand, it is shown that the prime sequence exhibits an extremely high level of organization. But second, on the other hand, it is also shown that the clearly detectable organization of the primes is ultimately beyond human comprehension. This conclusion runs radically counter and opposite—in regard to both points—to what may well be the default view held widely, if not universally, in current theoretical mathematics about the prime sequence, namely the following. First, on the one hand, the prime sequence is deemed by all appearance to be entirely random, not organized at all. Second, on the other hand, all hope has not been abandoned that the sequence may perhaps at some point be grasped by human cognition, even if no progress at all has been made in this regard. Current mathematical research seems to be entirely predicated on keeping this hope alive. In the present paper, it is proposed that there is no reason to hope, as it were. According to this point of view, theoretical mathematics needs to take a drastic 180-degree turn. The manner of demonstration that will be used is direct and empirical. Two key observations are adduced showing, 1), how the prime sequence is highly organized and, 2), how this organization transcends human intelligence because it plays out in the dimension of infinity and in relation to π. The present paper is part of a larger project whose design it is to present a complete and final mathematical and physical theory of rational human intelligence. Nothing seems more self-evident than that rational human intelligence is subject to absolute limitations. The brain is a material and physically finite tool. Everyone will therefore readily agree that, as far as reasoning is concerned, there are things that the brain can do and things that it cannot do. The search is therefore for the line that separates the two, or the limits beyond which rational human intelligence cannot go. It is proposed that the structure of the prime sequence lies beyond those limits. The contemplation of the prime sequence teaches us something deeply fundamental about the human condition. It is part of the quest to Know Thyself.
