Cauchy's Logico-Linguistic Slip, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and a Semantic Dilemma Concerning "Quantum Gravity"

TL;DR

This paper explores how linguistic and logical analysis of foundational concepts in physics reveals connections to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and highlights semantic dilemmas in formulating a theory of quantum gravity.

Contribution

It demonstrates the link between Cauchy's definition of derivatives and quantum uncertainty, emphasizing the role of language and semantics in understanding physical theories.

Findings

Cauchy's derivative definition relates to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Semantic analysis exposes dilemmas in unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics.

Self-inquiry in physics can offer new insights into the nature of reality.

Abstract

The importance of language in physics has gained emphasis in recent times, on the one hand through Hilbert's views that concern formalism and intuition applied for outer inquiry, and on the other hand through Brouwer's point of view that concerns intuition applied for inner inquiry or, as I call, self-inquiry. It is to demonstrate the essence of such investigations, especially self-inquiry (inward intuition), I find it compelling to report that a careful analysis of Cauchy's statements for the definition of derivative, as applied in physics, unveils the connection to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle as a condition for the failure of classical mechanics. Such logico-linguistic, or semantically driven, self-inquiry of physics can provide new insights to physicists in the pursuit of truth and reality, for example, in the context of Schroedinger equation. I point out an explicit dilemma that plagues the semantics of physics, as far as general relativity and quantum mechanics are concerned, which needs to be taken into account during any attempt to pen down a theory of "quantum gravity".