From: scerir (scerir@libero.it)
Date: Sat Mar 09 2002 - 01:47:31 MST
> ...... Perhaps some other unitless
> value would do, such as the fine
> structure constant. spike
If space, time and other quantities of physics are finite and
discrete, then are not the sources of units tautological?
If constants are truly universal, (speed of light,
Boltzmann's k, Planck's h) can they be eliminated
completely from all the laws of physics?
We can write x + y + z - c * t = 0
to make the c meaningless. But it is not
so simple to make constants irrelevant
if the equation is not so simple.
May this elimination / non-elimination of
constants carry some information?
[Ed Fredkin]
How many fundamental constants would a correct Finite Nature*
model have? Amazingly, aside from the rule; none, zero, nada...
Well John, would this be few enough?
* = discrete space-time (lattice)
[John Baez]
Sure - in fact, nobody will ever be completely happy until we
get the number of fundamental dimensionless constants down to none.
As long as some remain, there is stuff to wonder about.
But does this marvelous model you allude to actually exist?
[Ed Fredkin]
No John, it does not exist. Not yet.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/constants.html
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