The quest for truth, particularly in mechanics

0424401 - ÚT 2014 RIV EE eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Okrouhlík, Miloslav
The quest for truth, particularly in mechanics.
Estonian Journal of Engineering. Roč. 19, č. 4 (2013), s. 253-272. ISSN 1736-6038
Institucionální podpora: RVO:61388998
Klíčová slova: continuum mechanics of solids * finite element analysis * validity of models * definitions of terms
Kód oboru RIV: BI - Akustika a kmity
http://www.kirj.ee/23324/

The author ponders about things that necessarily come into engineering mind when the results obtained by theoretical, numerical and experimental approaches in solid continuum mechanics are correlated and compared with a pious wish to ascertain which of them are ‘truer’ or closer to 'reality'. This invokes many questions. How ancient and contemporary philosophers viewed the truth? How is truth related to consistency and validity of theoretical, numerical and experimental models we are inventing and employing? What is the role of threshold in physics, engineering, computation and in experiment? What is the role of singularity in mathematics, physics and in engineering? It should be stressed out that the role of doubts in our understanding the World plays a significantly positive role.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0231950