Physical Space & Empty Space Volume 4 - Issue 2

Patrice F Dassonville*

• Department of Biomedical sciences, Freelance researcher, France

Received: November 17, 2020;   Published: December 03, 2020

*Corresponding author: Patrice F Dassonville, Department of Biomedical sciences, Freelanceresearcher, France

DOI: 10.32474/PRJFGS.2020.04.000185

 

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Abstract

Space as such has no materiality ; the empty space is a mathematical concept.

Keywords: Imaginary Space; No Materiality of Space; Use of Zero

Introduction

The modeling of phenomena often imply space under various forms ; therefore it requires that physical space and empty space must be defined. The definitions will help us to uncover the nature of space and that of empty space. Moreover, a good definitionusualy leads to theoretical developpements, some unexpected.

Physical Space

In the everyday language, it is commonly said that we« see the space » in front of us, that we« measure the length » of a table. Unfortunately it is a faulty language. For example, from the summit of Assekrem (2790 m) (Hoggar February 1973) you can seemountainpeaks in the fore ground, mountains in the sandmist in the background, and the sky: we seeobjects, not « space » as such Space is a difficult issue to address for various reasons, which constitutes obstacles to be imperatively circumvented Here are three currentexamples :
• Definitions and descriptions of dictionaries and specialized works are unacceptable because they are systematically locked up in semantic dead ends.
• The intuitive approach, which is guided by sensitivity and repetition of receivedideas, is sterile.
• Dialectics , in which elementary reasoning and primary logic dominate,fails in it sown language.
Two unusual approaches deserve to be reminded :
• An investigation through Latin literature show us how authors have gradually conceptualized the notion of space from the observation of their environment For example, the Latin scholar Cicero (106-43) uses distant (remote), longitudo (length), spatium (large clearance) [1]. Afterobserving, Latin authors name what they see, what they feel about : either through new words or by extending the meaning of existing words, the sensitive approach if fruitfull, however it remains powerless for defining space.
• Define somethin gunderstudy is very important because the definition must say what it is about. In addition, we noticed that the more a definition is effective, the more itadduces theoretical extensions. We enforce a very elementary approach by saying that a distance is defined by« what separates two objects ».We have defined physical space by« what is between two objects ». Define space using two objects seems primary, so simple it is ; but sometimes things are simpl erthan we fear about. In this case, some theoretical extensions have already been emphasized [2]. We briefly recalltwo of them : on the one hand the properties of space, and on the other hand the nature of the empty space.

The properties of Space

We have shown that the properties of spacedepend on the experimental field in which we operate. For example, in special relativity, space is covariant [3] it means that the values of spatial data exchanged between the laboratory and a relativisticreferential (aparticle or a star),change depending on the speed of the referential. For example a traveller moving at 150,000 km/s looks smaller : 1m 47 instead of 1 m 70.First, the phenomenon is reversible ; the traveller seems smaller to the observer, and the observer seemssmaller to the traveller. Second, in fact the traveller as well as the observer are not smaller : the Lorentz equations allow us to counteract a technical effect of field by re-establishing the proper data. Covariance is a mathematical property : space has no physical properties ; it only owns mathematical properties. We conclude by saying that space is a polymorphic mathematical concept. How can we assert that the above relativistic experiment is not a physical experiment on space ? The answer is provided by our « elementary definition » of space : indeed, the experiment is made on« the two individuals », instead of their « size », instead of spaceas such.It is important to recall that spatial data, like « size », have no physical properties ; no experiment can be made on spatial data as well as on spacegenerallyspeaking. There is an interesting consequence ; length measurements and space measurements, that are kinds of experiments, are impossible ; in fact we measure « what separates the two objects ». Three examples :

• The zoologistdoes not measure the length of apolarbear’ sfootprint, because « length » is a concept : in fact, hemea sures what separates the two ends of the footprint ; the result is called « length of the footprint » (Figure 1 and 2).

• The geographer does not measure the distance between Paris and New York, instead, heme asures « what separates Paris and New York » ; the result is called « distance Paris/New York ».About curved space, it could be added the difference between physical distance and mathematical distance ; for example, Paris and New York are approximately separated by 5840km for airlines, and 5600 km for mathematicians (Figure 3).
• The Greek geographer Eratosthenes (276-194) succeeded in evaluating the value of the terrestrial circumference by simultaneaously comparing the shadows of two identical sticks located in twodifferent places ; with an incredible accuracy lessthan 2%.Eratosthenesdid not measure the « length of the shadows », because « length » is a concept : heme asured what « separated the two ends of each shadow » (Figure 4). It is a technical effect of field which makes us think that we can measure a length, a distance, a surface, a volume, a space; Indeed these five words designate five concepts on which no experiment is possible, including measurements. The misleading results from everyday language which we must be wary of.

Nature of Empty Space

The empty space could be easily defined by an energy density « ρ »equal to zero (the Greek letter « ρ »)(the matter is included with the energy):
ρ = 0
which requires that the variation« dρ » of the energy density is zerotoo :
dρ = 0
But according to the uncertainty principle of the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) the more the accuracy on energy is low the less the precisionon time is high. In other words, if the variation of energy density is zero, the duration of measurements is infinite. The quatum physics has observed « quantum fluctuations » in an alleged empty space [4]: it simply means that the quantum void is not an empty space ; well, our concern is the « empty space ».About that, we would like to return to what we call « the induction rule » and the use of « zero » [2]: inside a system, the induction rule prohibits the introductionof a parameter of zero value when the system does not owns this parameter. Think that the non-existence of a parameter is equivalent to zero valueis an excessive and in appropriate mathematization which results from a model effect of field. Example : we may not say about the one who has no boat, thatheownszero boat ! Or that heowns a boat of length zero! It’s about being wary of everyday language : we must replace « energy density equal to zero » by « no energy density ».We obtain « no energy density » as soon as the two objects that have been used to define distance and space are removed. It leads to the lack of any parameter and the disappearance of the mathematical properties. Thereforeit is impossible to build a definition : in clear, the emptyspace has no physical existence, itis a pure mathematical concept. The major consequence is that space as such has no materiality: itdoes not exist. The famous questioning of the German mathematician and philosopher Leibniz (1646- 1716) « Why is theresomethinginstead of nothing ? » is a sophism because « nothing » is not an option to « something » :« something » is necessary. Leibniz was deceived by a technical effect of field.

Imaginary Space

For his black hole theory, Stephen Hawking introduced an « imaginary time » [5] :
t = iτ (the Greek letter « τ »)
which is of course unrelated to symbolist or surrealist poetry. He might do it because time is a concept. We have defined the « imaginary time » by « what separates two states (imaginary or not) of an imaginary system ». It allows us to introduce an imaginary space, defined by « what separate stwoimaginarys ystems. Given that space is a concept, the imaginary spaces hould not lead to theoretical obstacles in the case we needit in the futur.

Conclusion

Space is neither observable nor measurable because it has no physical properties. It does not mean that the relations with this concept are disrupted. Fortunately we keep the ability of observing and measuring in accordance with definitions, with a different but rich approach, and respecting the accuracy of the words.

References

1. Gaffiot (2000) Dictionnaire Latin-Français. Hachette, 2000.
2. Dassonville P (2017) The Invention of Time & Space. Springer, 2017.
3. Mavridès S (1995) La Relativité. Presses Universitaires de France, 1995.
4. Einstein A (2009) Comment je vois le monde. Flammarion, 2009.
5. Hawking S (2005) A Briefer History of Time (eds). Bantam Dell, In: affiliate of Random House. Inc. New York, USA.