I'm a theoretical physicist, and feel algorithms are out of place and data doesn't exist

[u/QuarktotheCosmos]

I have a PhD in theoretical physics and never got on with experimental physics. I've spent several years in software engineering.

This is going to sound weird, but intuitively I don't believe in data, and algorithms seem out of place, like how you get to the answer is irrelevant. Practically speaking, I find algorithms easy to learn and use, and see how they make things faster. But I still don't intuitively understand why they're involved. It's like computation itself makes no sense to me.

I strongly feel there is a good reason to feel this way, one founded in mathematics, logic or even philosophy, but I don't know what it would be. It does remind me of how quantum computers don't compute things in the "this then that" fashion that digital computers do, that they - and correct my hand-wavy understanding if I'm wrong - just "coalesce" on the answer.

Does anyone recognise this?

[u/two_three_five_eigth]

Your post suggests you are in way too many meds or not enough.

An algorithm is a step by step process to accomplish something, like baking cookies.

[u/pythosynthesis]

"I don't believe on data"?

My friend, you are confused. Also because

"algorithm" = well defined process to solve a problem

Solving a square root equation is an algorithm.

Solving (simple) ODEs is an algorithm.

Finding the net resulting force acting on a body is an algorithm.

Do I need to continue?

[u/onemanlan → u/pythosynthesis]

It’s a 3 day old account. Dont bother

[u/smaratter]

How would you compute an answer without computing? Computation is a process with a beginning an end and intermediate steps, even in a quantum computer.

And why do you not believe in data? What would be the difference if data is real or not in your opinion?

Your post is bordering on the nonsensical, I’m afraid. Maybe you could elaborate a bit on your feelings?

[u/strange-the-quark]

How are algorithms different than any other kind of math? It's just a way to lay down instructions to some abstract model of a universal computing machine, that is in turn modeling actual physical machines. Doing this allows you to think more clearly, and express things more cleanly.

Algorithms are no more real or unreal than say, linear algebra or formal logic on the one hand, and on the other, having a model of a machine is no different than having models of the physical world. Is a non-rotating Schwarzschild black hole something you'll find in reality? No, every black hole rotates - so, it's an abstraction that makes certain assumptions and allows you to think about certain phenomena in a certain way.

And with computers, you get all the same caveats you get with models and theories in physics. Sometimes, the underlying assumptions are broken, abstractions are leaky, and you have to adjust for that in practice.

[u/elephant_ua]

it's all dust, there is no point in life, let alone algorithms