The surface of an actual table is a layer of atoms that has quantifiable thickness.
The surface of a mathematical cylinder is a two-dimensional manifold that has no thickness.
Math $$\neq$$ physics.
2 dimensions into 3 dimensions
- Thread starter Quantum Quack
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The surface of an actual table is a layer of atoms that has quantifiable thickness.
The surface of a mathematical cylinder is a two-dimensional manifold that has no thickness.
Math $$\neq$$ physics.
If one describes just one surface of a solid cube is that surface 2 or 3 dimensional?
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
No it isn't. A glass sitting on the table knows nothing of its composition or thickness. It knows the surface only as a 2-dimensional barrier.
Do the atoms have a 2d surface or not?
Define atomic " surface " .
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
What a glass on the table experiences.
The table could be a mile thick and the glass doesn't know it. All it knows it the zero thickness surface.
How does this make sense to you ?
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
How does it not make sense to you?
"Ask" the glass how thick the table is.
The glass will "say" I haven't the foggiest notion. I know it's there because it keeps me from hitting the floor.
Irrelevant to this discussion , of 2D into 3D .
Could we consider then that all outer surfaces of any solid are 2 dimensional?
Formally 2D, but nitpicking might get one into quasi-fractal dimension territory if you really want to drill down to a level where the surface will be rough.
Hey - on track to reach another two digits page count thread. Swell.
Couldn't have done it without you. 
Why not?
Fractals are only found in life forms , just so we understand .
Genuine fractals are found nowhere in nature, but only as truncated i.e. quasi-fractals. And certainly not just or even typically in life forms. The quintessential example is coastlines - not living last time I checked.
Disagree
Fractals , examples of fractals are always based on life .
Give me a fractal that is inorganic .
Maybe you should type "fractal" into your search bar, and stop at the very first hit, which for me is to a Wikipedia link by the same name. Plenty of inorganic and organic examples of what may be loosely called 'fractals'. As per that article, there is some debate over the proper definition for fractals, and it gets into various categories and sub-categories if one wants to venture in really deep. But, if wishing to persist with that organic-only peculiar restriction - argue it out with the authors of textbooks on the subject who will strongly disagree with you.
Hey, we're still only on page 5! Not good enough. More time wasting banter folks. Come on, we can do this!
So give an example of this plethora of in-organic fractals .