Can the proof be understand by a motivated, human-intelligence Cartesian skeptic who is protected from errors of carelessness? Because a Cartesian skeptic will never derive true physics statements, no matter how much effort is applied, since the skeptic is cut off from empirical data by definition.
And I think that is an interesting distinction between math and physics.
I certainly admit that there are physical processes that could cause me to believe a false mathematical statement was true. But that is properly understood as a fact about me, and does not mean that math has any empirical content.
Can the proof be understand by a motivated, human-intelligence Cartesian skeptic who is protected from errors of carelessness?
To the same extent the proof of the four color theorem can be. It will just take orders of magnitude more time than any human has. So do you consider it to be proven in the same sense? Do you need to wait until such a person exists and does it? If so, why is that different?
Can the proof be understand by a motivated, human-intelligence Cartesian skeptic who is protected from errors of carelessness? Because a Cartesian skeptic will never derive true physics statements, no matter how much effort is applied, since the skeptic is cut off from empirical data by definition.
And I think that is an interesting distinction between math and physics.
I certainly admit that there are physical processes that could cause me to believe a false mathematical statement was true. But that is properly understood as a fact about me, and does not mean that math has any empirical content.
To the same extent the proof of the four color theorem can be. It will just take orders of magnitude more time than any human has. So do you consider it to be proven in the same sense? Do you need to wait until such a person exists and does it? If so, why is that different?