Sociology and Pure Maths - Ernst Mach's approach to physics definitions | Sociology and Pure Physics

There is a curious parallel between definitional difficulties in physics and in mathematics. The Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916) advocated a particularly empirical approach to how fundamental concepts in physics ought to be introduced: by linking definitions to explicit measurements. In this video we discuss Mach's thinking, talk about the difficulties with several fundamental elementary concepts in physics, especially the problematic issue of "mass", which has seen considerable evolution over the centuries, up to modern quantum field theory. And then we compare the situation with the corresponding difficulties in modern pure mathematics where definitions often float freely in a thought bubble ultimately pinned down by "prior understanding" and "intuition" rather than by explicit procedures for writing down expressions. This discussion is particularly important when we try to understand Special Relativity. Video Contents: 00:00 Ernst Mach 2:02 Key concepts of physics 5:10 Critical role of mass 12:16 Confusions in physics and in mathematics ******* Research Gate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Norman_Wildberger Blog: http://njwildberger.com/ Online courses at openlearning.com (currently Algebraic Calculus One): https://www.openlearning.com/courses/algebraic-calculus-one/ Please join us for an exciting new approach to one of mathematics' most important subjects! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/njwildberger Your support would be much appreciated. Wild Egg Maths YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCriFv3G22iOUidUhkIGXuh Insights into Mathematics Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CL0-5wO4P-OwuH7SzBUyC0 (31 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85B0aMG-G9oqj-NPIuBMnq8z (18 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DHcleY93bd2WlywQYxHv7H (6 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85AZjh2GUdwsMuAWTEHXCLb- (4 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DeX148Q2T2elycnIYHTxdP (44 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85A6D0eylgAM4Xc1b_dDTgHW (8 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DGxj1x_dyaSggbauAgrB6R (226 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85A_VZD126sND3XECDSI-qGs (26 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DfokRNdx5eQ_qA43BwyM-_ (45 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CvrEUnhS4dkTm9Lci5JTYS (43 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85D7wczwyUQdwDe2duZ7wPTf (40 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85Ar_tuHmRDI2Xr5tWOTI1oW (55 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DPSrQpExd2L870ggxd2KEB (34 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85C3-5f6-qQS3YhgygZgnGYs (8 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85D7hfVLKyEJbQxOJ4yYm1-9 (9 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85BtiJIcDF2uuFc7_ndd1UL6 ( 46 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85B6MYBrWldlJ3w-Q1LaEdoy (40 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85DIpzaWggqJDIK8m2u09dQL (7 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85Ag6ragdmHaxUOKcQsIsrXZ (7 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85A5w_vZ5BB1IQAxAMhz5o5S (19 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85BjhYV7QswANMF3gKPx9BqT (21 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85Bi7PvrTkAaAswTwsfsR5HV (10 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIljB45xT85CyF_7bKd6y36VArOy3p2oh (94 videos) Wild Egg Maths Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz5m3XKK0OPc31l-GTqDiAjs (4 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz4CVqTYS1fwInPOZxBxDaQf (64 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz7PpsRFHuGb3EhwZtEOdRjV (45 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz6HqaFPB4HTZOQ8jgDAVnuz (20 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz71VHhAIUN-7Y6-JVcwF-xA (8 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz75-t4UaYvHwPe5AHGA_EWe (9 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz5W25vaXSreTMTwpPhWs1w2 (52 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz4DCenuIAr9R2kXLq4ywRAm (9 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz7OynfQubQrYkxYurauO-HD (14 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz7cyg5JdKBpzB4fTQT7f-Xl (8 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz5Bcq1VN_R7zYDZH3u49FH8 (25 videos) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdiPTrEWyz5flY1TFd7cekRMZRvPGkzM (30 videos)