Infinitesimal idealization, easy road nominalism, and fractional quantum statistics

Shech, Elay

doi:10.1007/s11229-018-1680-4

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Other ostensible examples of infinite or infinitesimal idealizations include fractional quantum statistics as portrayed by anyons in the fractional quantum Hall effect (Shech, 2015a, 2018a, 2018b), superselection rules (Butterfield, ; Earman, ), fractals (Butterfield, ), catastrophe optics (Batterman, ), semiclassical mechanics (Batterman, ; Bokulich, ; Landsman, ), point‐particle idealizations in general relativity (Tamir, ; Wayne, ), thermodynamically reversible processes (Norton, ; Valente, ), and systems portraying indeterminism such as a dome with infinite curvature at its peak, an infinite array of masses and springs, and an infinite domino cascade (see Norton, , for these examples), as well as various supertasks (Manchak & Roberts, ).…”

Section: Examples Of Infinite and Essential Idealizations In Physicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infinite idealizations in physics

Shech

2018

Philosophy Compass

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In this essay, I provide an overview of the debate on infinite and essential idealizations in physics. I will first present two ostensible examples: phase transitions and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Then, I will describe the literature on the topic as a debate between two positions: Essentialists claim that idealizations are essential or indispensable for scientific accounts of certain physical phenomena, whiledispensabilists maintain that idealizations are dispensable from mature scientific theory. I will also identify some attempts at finding a middle ground between the essentialists and dispensabilists camps. Finally, I will raise questions for future research on essential and infinite idealizations via the notion of exploration.

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Section: Examples Of Infinite and Essential Idealizations In Physicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For connections between the literature on the indispensability argument in the philosophy of mathematics and infinite idealizations in science, see Baron (, ) and Shech (2018a)…”

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confidence: 99%