For an engineer, ‘zero’ means a quantity less than the relevant tolerance; the size of this quantity is usually unimportant, but the sign may be critically important. The notion of ‘absolute zero’ lacks information about sign and belongs, with other conceptual ideas like ‘irresistible’ forces, to the world of metaphysics or theology, not mathematics or science. Statements about the real world should always be made in terms of inequalities, not equations, unless it is convenient to express the same entity in two different but equivalent forms, or the absence of critical comparison permits procedure as if exact equalities were possible. In mathematics, the relevant tolerances may be regarded as arbitrarily small, but they must not be forgotten. Adequate attention to tolerances and residual quantities in fact simplifies mathematics by removing ambiguities which are invariably associated with border-line cases which occur with zero probability.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff prüfen

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen

    Bestellung bei Subito €


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Beware of Zero


    Untertitel :

    A Discussion Involving the Significance of Tolerances as Opposed to the Idea of ‘Absolute Zero’


    Beteiligte:
    Mayo, C.G. (Autor:in) / Head, J.W. (Autor:in)

    Erschienen in:

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1962-02-01


    Format / Umfang :

    2 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch



    Glassy Water? Beware!

    Online Contents | 1994


    Beware of birds

    Online Contents | 2008


    Beware utility computing promises

    Kumar, R. | British Library Online Contents | 2003


    Beware tunnel vision

    Online Contents | 1998


    INVESTMENTS: Bidder beware

    Online Contents | 1994