Re: Cantor Confusion

mueckenh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Franziska Neugebauer schrieb:
mueckenh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

*** T. Winter schrieb:
> Everybody knows what the number of ther EC states is.
[...]
The number of EC states is "the number of EC states".

This is hardly a definition.

It is simply a notion which can be equal to a natural number.

Which may _evaluate_ to a number.

No. It evaluates to a number as little as 6 evaluates to a number. It
*is* a number, though not a fixed number.

Mathematically one modells such "not-fixed numbers" as functions.
Conclusively this function has value 6 at 1968.

That is a matter of definition of the word "number".

Provide one. Don't forget to provide a definition of "not-fixed" number
and "not-fixed" set. And please show that one gains advantage over the
function concept.

Without explicitly or implicitly
providing a context (year) there is no definite answer in terms of
natural numbers. Mathematically the number of EC states can be
modelled as _function_ of time.

The set of prime numbers does not contain the number 1.

According to a widespread defintion of "prime number" the set of
prime numers _refers_ _to_ a set which does not contain the number 1.

But once upon a time it did contain it.

There may have been a time, when _a_ _different_ _set_ (one
containing the 1) was _referred_ _to_ _by_ the named "set of prime
numbers".

That is a matter of definition. It was *the* set of prime numbers. But
it is really superfluous to reply that, according to your definition,
it was another set. Of course it was another set, because the set of
prime numbers has changed.

You should take Virgil's hint to Korzybski seriously.

This does not imply that the set of former times "has changed" in
time. Only the naming has changed due to a changed definition. You
may compare this with Gerhard Schröder who did not undergo a gender
transformation when Angela Merkel became chancellor in 2005.

But "the chancellor" did.

I would think most people start laughing at the questioner when asked
whether

In 2005 the chancellor underwent a gender transformation.

is true.

F. N.
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xyz
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