Basic Models

Abstract

Quite often students pursuing a course in mathematics face an embarrassing situation when a nonmathematician raises the question of applicability of mathematics to real-world problems. This may be due to the abstractness of mathematical theory that the readers come across. Further, it is generally viewed that mathematical models are built and the theory is developed with an experiment or observations at its back ground. Of course, this approach helps understanding the system under consideration and also in the evolution of better systems from it. This approach, as may be called “theory after experiment”, helps the experts in other areas look for mathematical solutions for more complex problems that arise in the development of their experiments/models. Keeping in view the ability of mathematics to make valid, logically sound predictions, an important question is, can a “mathematical stage” be set where any experiment may it be physical, biological, or economic, etc. is conducted with a mathematically predicted outcome? In other words, can mathematics be tried in a laboratory? If the answer is yes, then this may help make life predictable, of course, within the limitations of mathematical logic. This leads to the development of new theories and opens new worlds of applications.