Re: Is the Mandelbrot Set real?

Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Fri, 25 Jul 1997 08:13:45 -0400

John K Clark wrote:
>
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>
> Wed, 23 Jul 1997 Hara Ra <harara@shamanics.com> Wrote:
>
> >I am stating that IMO the platonic notion that the entire Mandelbrot
> >set exists is unreal, and what is real is our limited representations
> >of same in our physical brains, which are finite.
>
>
[SNIP]
> Leaving solipsism aside, it's possible that you're correct, but is there any
> reason to think that The Mandelbrot Set is less real than the chair you're
> sitting on right now?
>

I personally distinguish the reality of physical objects from the
reality
of mathematical constructs. However I can't see a difference in the
reality
of the Mandelbrot set and the reality of the number 1, or of the set of
real numbers.