Universe is so complete that it
has many solution sets for a single problem. Sometimes this solution will be
most ridiculous. We can evidence this in dual nature of light. Photo-electric
effect can be explained on basis of particle nature of light. But properties
like diffraction& polarization can’t be explained solely on particle
nature. So, what is light? Is it wave or a particle. Well, it is both. To any
physicist this is like most ridiculous thing.
Weirdness doesn’t stop there. We
encounter major problems when we try to understand the extremely larger masses
or extremely smaller masses. Gravity plays an important role at large mass
scale while electrostatic forces are negligible, but at Planck scale gravity is
at least 10-36 weaker than electrostatic force. So, unifying the
forces in universe into one single equation became quite difficult. The wave
nature of the particles becomes more and more evident at quantum scale and behavior
of these particles becomes unpredictable.
So to interpret physics we need a better way to reduce this unpredictability.
We do this using mathematics, deriving an equation of the behavior of these
particles under general conditions. Everything shows a pattern in their behavior
and if we could establish this pattern
into set of equations we can reduce this unpredictable behavior. For example Schrödinger’s
wave equation helps in determining the location of maximum probability of finding
a particle. But we must make sure we interpret these equations properly.
Sometimes math’s may be
tricky and if we don’t interpret it right than our definition about system
changes. For example if I have an equation as x2+y2=25 we generally assume
there's only one integer solution which is x=3, y=4. But only when we observe
it carefully it has 4 solution sets that satisfy the equation. (3,4) (-3,4)
(-3,-4) (3,-4). In mathematics we may not observe much importance of it. But in
physics it can change your whole world. It can change your way of thinking
about characteristics of system. Sometimes even experimental evidence can
be misleading. When our mathematics about a theory comes out right it doesn’t necessarily
mean that our theory is true. . We must have an open mind
to different possibilities.
