Читать книгу The Wonders of Arithmetic from Pierre Simon de Fermat - Youri Veniaminovich Kraskov - Страница 6

The question about the essence the notion of number at all times was for scientists the thing-in-itself. They of course, understood that they could not distinctly answer this question as well as they could not admit in this since this would have a bad effect on maintaining the prestige of science. What is the problem here? The fact is that in all cases a number must be obtained from other numbers, otherwise it cannot be perceived as a number. To understand for example, the number 365, you need to add three hundred with six tens and five units. It follows that the notion of a number does not decompose into components that are qualitatively different from it and in such a way as usual for science i.e. through analysis, it is not possible to penetrate the secret of its essence.

Scientists having a question about the nature of numbers immediately ran into this problem and came to the conclusion that a general definition the notion of number simply does not exist. But not a such was Pierre Fermat who approached this problem from other side. He asked: “Where does the notion of number come from?” And came to the conclusion that his predecessors were the notions “more”, “less” and “equal” as the comparisons’ results of some properties inherent to different objects [30].

If different objects are compared in some property with the same object then such a notion as a measurement appears, so perhaps is the essence of a number possible revealed through a measurement? However, it is not so. In relation to the measurement, the number is primary i.e. if there are no numbers, there can be no also measurements. Understanding the essence of the number becomes possible only after establishing the number is inextricably connect with the notion of “function”.

But this notion is not difficult to determine:

A function is a given sequence of actions with its arguments.

In turn, actions cannot exist on their own i.e. in the composition of the function in addition to them must include the components, with which these actions are performed. These components are called function arguments. From here follows a general definition the notion of number:

Number is an objective reality existing as a countable quantity, which consists of function arguments and actions between them.

For example, a+b+c=d where a, b, c are arguments, d is a countable quantity or the number value.32

To understand what a gap separates Pierre Fermat from the rest of the science’s world, it is enough to compare this simple definition with the understanding existing in today's science [13, 29]. But understanding clearly presenting in the scientific works of Fermat, allowed him still in those distant times to achieve results that for other scientists were either fraught with extreme difficulties or even unattainable. It may be given also the broader definition the notion of number, namely:

A number is a kind of data represented as a function.

This extended definition the notion of number goes beyond frameworks mathematics; therefore, it can be called as general one and the previous definition as mathematical. In this second definition, it is necessary to clarify the essence the notion of “data”, however, for modern science this question is no less difficult than the question about the essence of the notion a number.33

From the general definition the notion of number follows the truth of the famous Pythagoras' statement that everything existing can be reflected as a number. Indeed, if a number is a special kind of information, this statement very bold at that time, was not only justified, but also confirmed by the modern practice of its use on computers where three well-known methods of representing data are implemented: numerical (or digitized), symbolic (or textual) and analog (images, sound, and video). All three methods exist simultaneously.

Pic. 30. Pythagoras

A strikingly bold statement even for our time that thinking is an unconscious process of computations, have been expressed in the 17th century by Gottfried Leibniz. Here, thinking is obviously understood as the process of data processing, which in all cases can be represented as numbers. Then it is clear how computations appear, but understanding of the essence of this process in modern science is so far lacking.34

Pic. 31. Gottfried Leibniz

All definitions of a number have one common basis:

Numbers exist objectively in the sense that they are present in the laws of the world around us, which can be known only through numbers.

From the school bench everyone will learn about numbers from the childish counting: one, two, three, four, five etc. Only the Lord knows where did this counting come from. However, there were attempts to explain its origin using axioms, but the origin of them is as incomprehensible as the counting. Rather, it looks like a certain imitation of the Euclid's "Elements" to add to knowledge the image of science and the appearance of solidity and fundamentality.

The situation is completely different when there is a mathematical definition the essence of a number. Then for a more complete understanding of it, both axioms and a countable quantity become a necessity. Indeed, this definition to the essence of a number includes arguments, actions and a countable quantity. But arguments are also numbers and they should be presented not specifically each of them, but by default i.e. in the form of a generally accepted and unchanged function, which is called the number system, however it no way could to appear without such a notion as a count. Now, axioms turn out to be very appositely and without them a count may be got only from aliens. In reality it was namely so happened since such sources of knowledge as the Euclid's “Elements” or the Diophantus' “Arithmetic” were clearly created not by our, but by a completely different civilization.35

If axioms regulate the count, then they are primary in relation to it. However, there is no need to determine their essence through the introduction of new notions because the meaning of any axioms is precisely in their primacy i.e., they are always essentially the boundaries of knowledge. Thus, axioms receive an even more fundamental status, than until now when they were limited only to the foundation of any separate system. In particular, the system of axioms, developed by the Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano, very closely correspond to the solution of the problem for constructing a counting system although this main purpose was not explained apparently with a hint on justification the essence the notion of number. The scientific community perceived them only as a kind of “formalization of arithmetic” completely not noticing that these axioms in no way reflect the essence of numbers, but only create the basis for their presentation by default i.e. through a count.

If the main content of axioms is to determine the boundaries of knowledge related to generally accepted methods of representing of numbers, then they should be built both from the definition the essence of the notion of number and in order to ensure the strength and stability of the whole science's building. Until now, due to the lack of such an understanding of the ways of building the foundations of knowledge, the question about the essence of numbers has never even been asked, but only complicated and confused.

Pic. 32. Giuseppe Peano

However, now when it becomes clearer and without any special difficulties, all science can receive a new and very powerful impetus for its development. And then namely on such a solid basis, science acquires the ability to overcome with an incredible ease such complex obstacles, which in the old days, when there was no understanding the essence of numbers, they seemed to science as completely impregnable fortresses36.

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For mathematicians and programmers, the notion of function argument is quite common and has long been generally accepted. In particular, f (x, y, z) denotes a function with variable arguments x, y, z. The definition of the essence of a number through the notion of function arguments makes it very simple, understandable and effective since everything what is known about the number, comes from here and all what this definition does not correspond, should be questioned. This is not just the necessary caution, but also an effective way to test the strength of all kinds of structures, which quietly replace the essence of the number with dubious innovations that make science gormlessly and unsuitable for learning.

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An exact definition the notion of data does not exist unless it includes a description from the explanatory dictionary. From here follows the uncertainty of its derivative notions such as data format, data processing, data operations etc. Such vague terminology generates a formulaic thinking, indicating that the mind does not develop, but becomes dull and by reaching in this mishmash of empty words critical point, it simply ceases to think. In this work, a definition the notion of “data” is given in Pt. 5.3.2. But for this it is necessary to give the most general definition the notion of information, which in its difficulty will be else greater than the definition the notion of number since the number itself is an information. The advances in this matter are so significant that after they will follow a real technological breakthrough with such potential of efficiency, which will be incomparably higher than which was due to the advent of computers.

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Computations are not only actions with numbers, but also the application of methods to achieve the final result. Even a machine can cope with actions if the mind equips it with appropriate methods. But if the mind itself becomes like a machine i.e. not aware the methods of calculation, then it is able to create only monsters that will destroy also him selves. Namely to that all is going now because of the complete lack of a solution to the problem of ensuring data security. But the whole problem is that informatics as a science simply does not exist.

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Specialists who comment on the ancients in their opinion the Euclid's "Elements" and the Diophantus' "Arithmetic", as if spellbound, see but cannot acknowledge the obvious. Neither Euclid nor Diophantus can be the creators the content of these books, this is beyond the power of even modern science. Moreover, these books appeared only in the late Middle Ages when the necessary writing was already developed. The authors of these books were just translators of truly ancient sources belonging to another civilization. Nowadays, people with such abilities are called medium.

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If from the very beginning we have not decided on the concept of a number and have an idea of it only through prototypes (the number of fingers, or days of the week etc.), then sooner or later we will find that we don’t know anything about numbers and follow the calculations an immense set of empirical methods and rules. However, if initially we have an exact definition the notion of number, then for any calculations, we can use only this definition and the relatively small list of rules following from it. If we ourselves creating the required numbers, we can do this through the function arguments, which are represented in the generally accepted number system. But when it is necessary to calculate unknown numbers corresponding to a given function and task conditions, then special methods will often be required, which without understanding the essence of numbers will be very difficult.