Keith Devens .com - Weblog: Mathematical Background

Saturday, March 13, 2004

Mathematical Background

Check out this explanation of Mathematical Background by John Sowa (whose Knowledge Representation book) I want to get. Definitely recommended. While my background covered much of what he covered (it was a good refresher for that stuff), I finally learned things like what an isomorphism is and what it means for a function to be onto. Oh, and I never knew what the heck a bag was (though I knew what a multiset was). Oh crap, knowing water is drinkable without knowing H20 is drinkable... philosophy of mind... identity in philosophy of logic/language, aaaaaaah!!

If Lois Lane knows that Superman can fly, and she knows that Clark Kent can't fly, but Clark and Superman are names for the same person, in what sense do Clark Kent and Superman refer to "different people" so it can be said of them both that he "can fly" and "can't fly"?

Permalink | 2 Comments | id 4779

13:49 (utc-5)

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You mean, you've never done graph theory? Dude, when you're a programmer, it's next to essential!

∴ Keith Gaughan | 16-Mar-2004 5:45am est | http://talideon.com/ | #4129

Oh, and on the Lois Lane bit, Clark Kent and Superman are aspects of the one being, Kal-El, and depending on the circumstances, Kal-El will project whichever one is most suiting. However, if Lois knows Clark and Superman are aspects of the one being, the aspect falls away to reveal a singular being.

Whereas Kal-El posesses the positive properties of both aspects, the aspects do not necessarily posess the same ones. Therefore, it is only the aspects that can be said, in a sense "to fly" and "not to fly", and not the being behind them.

Is that what you're asking?

∴ Keith Gaughan | 16-Mar-2004 11:08am est | http://talideon.com/ | #4135

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