Causation in Physics: Causal Processes and Mathematical Derivations

Abstract

Physics is, above all else, mathematical. But its causal stories can be told in words. How then does mathematics bear on causal claims in physics? I want to make some very simple philosophical points about derivations, mathematical dependencies, and causal relations in physics. I am going to focus on the question, “How does mathematics provide theoretical support for physics’ causal claims?” Theoretical support is only one among a variety of kinds of support that a causal claim may have, but-I am not going to discuss how to balance these various kinds of support. Instead I will concentrate entirely on theoretical support and lay out some necessary conditions for the ideal case.’ Although the points I will make are not very involved philosophically, I will flesh them in with a very detailed example concerning gas lasers.