Necessity, Possibility, Symmetry
Matrix group actions,
March 26, 1985
"We symbolize logical necessity
with the box 
)
and logical possibility
with the diamond 
).
— Keith Allen Korcz,
(Log24.net, 1/25/05)
And what do we
symbolize by 
?
"The possibilia that exist,
and out of which
the Universe arose,
are located in
a necessary being…."
— Michael Sudduth,
Notes on
God, Chance, and Necessity
by Keith Ward,
Regius Professor of Divinity
at Christ Church College, Oxford
(the home of Lewis Carroll)
How about the square inscribed in the diamond?
Comment by davidyounglee — Thursday, March 3, 2005 @ 11:32 pm
A natural question…
In modal theology (Anselm, etc.), God is a necessary being. Hence, given the standard symbolism of modal logic, God might appropriately be represented by a square. A square within a diamond might, therefore, represent a modal theistic argument— a proof of the existence of God which makes use of the premise that God is a being who exists in every possible world.
Comment by m759 — Friday, March 4, 2005 @ 1:15 am
Very interesting. Yet the square within a diamond isn’t represented among the possible 48 matrix group actions?
Comment by davidyounglee — Saturday, March 5, 2005 @ 1:52 am
Sorry, the 3×3 array is too small for that… Unless you rotate it by 45 degrees.
Comment by m759 — Saturday, March 5, 2005 @ 4:01 am
OK, so I just read a Czech article about International Women’s Day, and the verdict is that many people think it’s communist BS and other people see it as older and bigger than communist regimes, which it apparently is. I have learned something.
Comment by Margita — Tuesday, March 8, 2005 @ 9:56 am