New theory argues quantum physics must abandon irrational numbers and the continuum
iai.tv
Oxford physicist Tim Palmer argues quantum mechanics secretly rests on a mathematical fiction — and ditching irrational numbers could finally dissolve its deepest paradoxes.
Invariant Set TheoryMathematical RealismQuantum FoundationsConstructive Mathematics
Theory Briefing
- Oxford physicist Tim Palmer claims quantum mechanics relies on irrational numbers and the continuum — mathematical constructs he argues have no physical basis.
- Palmer's alternative framework uses only rational numbers, suggesting the universe is fundamentally discrete rather than continuous — a radical structural shift.
- If correct, abandoning the continuum could resolve longstanding quantum paradoxes like wavefunction collapse, reframing them as artefacts of flawed mathematics.