Between Theories: The Limits of Theory

理论之间：理论的局限性

• 批准号: 9529052
• 负责人: Robert Batterman
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Ohio State University Research Foundation -DO NOT USE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-07-01 至 1998-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9529052&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Between; Theories; Limits; Theory

This project will examine the relationships between physical theories, using both a very technical examination of the mathematics and a more philosophic reflection on the implications of those mathematical relationships. The purpose of this investiagtion is to reach new philosophic understandings about the nature of physical theories and to develop new insights into relationships between theories, such as reduction and explanation. To do this the PI will use recent advances in the mathematics of asymptotic expansions to examine the properties of functions that describe physical theories as a fundamental parameter of the theory (say, Planck's constant) approaches a limiting value. Since it is often the case that one physical theory represents the limiting case of another--a kind of intertheoretic reduction--this examination will offer new insights into the meaning of reductive relationships between theories. From all this technical analysis the PI will then draw inferences about the nature of theories and their relationship that have general utility in the philosophy of science.

这个项目将研究物理理论之间的关系，使用非常技术性的数学检查和对这些数学关系的含义的更多哲学思考。 研究的目的是对物理学理论的性质达成新的哲学理解，并对理论之间的关系，如还原和解释，发展新的见解。 为此，PI将使用渐近展开数学的最新进展来检查描述物理理论的函数的性质，因为理论的基本参数（例如普朗克常数）接近极限值。 由于它是经常的情况下，一个物理理论代表另一个的限制情况-一种理论间的还原-这种检查将提供新的见解理论之间的还原关系的意义。 从所有这些技术分析中，PI将得出关于理论的性质及其在科学哲学中具有普遍效用的关系的推论。