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SomeMichGuy · M
Kind of both...because, while it is created from ideas about number, etc., its success in being used to model, describe, predict (e.g., with physics) the natural world is a testament to the fact that it has a truth in it beyond a simple made-up set of ideas.
One of the most striking examples is that the separation constants used in solving the Schrödinger equation for hydrogenic (1-electron) atoms by the separation of variables end up being the quantum numbers which describe the state of the electron in any orbital...amazing!
One of the most striking examples is that the separation constants used in solving the Schrödinger equation for hydrogenic (1-electron) atoms by the separation of variables end up being the quantum numbers which describe the state of the electron in any orbital...amazing!