NDLI: On the Role of Mathematics in Physics: A Constructivist Epistemic Perspective

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Quale, Andreas
Copyright Year	2010
Abstract	The association between the observable physical world and the mathematical models used in theoretical physics to describe this world is examined. Such models will frequently exhibit solutions that are unexpected, in the sense that they describe physical situations which are different from that which the physicist may initially have had in mind when the model is employed. It will then often be the case that such an unexpected solution actually represents a physically realisable situation. However, this solution may also, in some cases, describe a system that is unphysical—i.e. a system that, according to our physical intuition, simply cannot exist. It is argued that this latter fact poses a problem for the epistemic position of realism in physics: a mathematical theory that professes to give a correct description of physical reality should not give rise to such unrealistic solutions. Some concrete examples are examined, and their implications are discussed from the relativist epistemic perspective that is implicit in the theory of radical constructivism. It is suggested that the occurrence of these unphysical solutions also has significance for the teaching of physics. In conclusion, it is advocated that the students be exposed, from the start of their physics education (mainly in secondary school), to the relativist ontology that is advocated by radical constructivism; here the appearance of unphysical solutions does not pose an epistemic problem.
Starting Page	609
Ending Page	624
Page Count	16
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09267220
Journal	Science & Education
Volume Number	20
Issue Number	7-8
e-ISSN	15731901
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2010-05-14
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	History Interdisciplinary Studies Science Education Philosophy of Science
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Education

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

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