Newsgroups: alt.philosophy.objectivism,alt.sci.physics.new-theories,sci.physics,comp.ai,comp.ai.philosophy,sci.philosophy.meta,sci.math
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uchinews!cars3.uchicago.edu!MERON
From: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: Zero, a bad concept for logic, math and science?
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: cars3.uchicago.edu
Message-ID: <DLx42L.9AI@midway.uchicago.edu>
Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator)
Reply-To: meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Organization: CARS, U. of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637
References: <4edqfn$q9b@reader2.ix.netcom.com> <1001.6601T743T2106@portal.ca> <ecox.68.003376EB@paltech.com>
Distribution: inet
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 00:59:09 GMT
Lines: 22
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.physics:167657 comp.ai:36459 comp.ai.philosophy:37148 sci.philosophy.meta:23837 sci.math:134196

In article <ecox.68.003376EB@paltech.com>, ecox@paltech.com (Earl Cox) writes:
>In article <1001.6601T743T2106@portal.ca> lance@portal.ca (Lance Neustaeter) writes:
>
>Well, I don't agree with Tom on this point, BUT, the excluded middle is faulty 
>as a representation of most real-world phenomena. Most of us in fuzzy logic 
>have recognized this for many years. What's the opposite of TALL, FAST, HIGH, 
>and other continuous processes? These concepts cannot be dichotomized into 
>discrete A and not(A) sets.

This is fine but it has to do not with the excluded middle being 
faulty but with being not applicable.  By itself it is a well defined 
concept which, as you said applies to situations which can be 
dichotomized.  Thus, if you talk about the set of all people and 
instead of talking about "tall" and "short", divede them into "taller 
then six feet" and "not taller then six feet" then the concept 
applies.  If, instead you talk about "good" and "bad" then it doesn't.

When you use a tool in a situation it wasn't designed for, it doesn't 
work.  What else is new.

Mati Meron			| "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars3.uchicago.edu	|  chances are he is doing just the same"
