Re: How can I tell if F is a string or if it is a number?

On Apr 5, 11:00 am, c...@xxxxxxxx (Richard Harter) wrote:

Thanks for the help.

The = sign in many languages, e.g. C and Fortran, means
assignment. In physics and mathematics generally it means
identity.

I think in physics the = sign is context sensitive and has many
meanings. I think this is part of my problem.

http://www.densytics.com/wiki/index.php?title=Equality_sign


Secondly, F=ma is not a statement in the sense of a
statement in a programming language; rather it is a formula,

Ok. I understand this. I was hoping to use concepts of computer
language and math to decipher physicists' F=ma

i.e., a governing relationship between the three quantities, F,
m, and a.

I think here the assumption is that F is a quantity like m and a. But
I am questioning this assumption. How do I test mathematically that F
is not just a label or a placeholder or a pointer to ma?

Let's say I want to write a program to compute F, it should be
something like this:

(def force (m a) (* m a))

I assume in this case force is merely the name of the function (* m
a). There is not something distinct from (* m a) called force. Is this
correct?

Fifthly, more subtly, variables stand for something specific; the
association is intrinsic (albeit by definition) rather than
happenstance (as is so often the case in computer programs).

So in this case, does F stand for anything other than ma?

Thanks again.

.

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