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Can an infinitude of operations be performed in a finite time?
pp. 630-645
Résumé
In his book Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science, the renowned mathematical physicist Hermann Weyl raised the following question: Is it kinematically feasible that a machine carry out an infinite sequence of distinct operations in a finite time? And he gave a conditional answer to it as follows: If a machine obeying the principles of classical kinematics cannot carry out a denumerable infinity of operations in a finite time, then the received interpretation of the classical mathematical theory of motion is beset by one of Zeno's kinematical paradoxes.
Détails de la publication
Publié dans:
Grünbaum Adolf (1973) Philosophical problems of space and time. Dordrecht, Springer.
Pages: 630-645
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-010-2622-2_18
Citation complète:
Grünbaum Adolf, 1973, Can an infinitude of operations be performed in a finite time?. In A. Grünbaum Philosophical problems of space and time (630-645). Dordrecht, Springer.