The Devil in the Details: Asymptotic Reasoning in Explanation, Reduction, and Emergence

Robert W. Batterman9780195314885, 0195314883

Robert Batterman examines a form of scientific reasoning called asymptomatic reasoning, arguing that it has important consequences for our understanding of the scientific process as a whole. He maintains that asymptomatic reasoning is essential for explaining what physicists call universal behavior. With clarity and rigor, he simplifies complex questions about universal behavior, demonstrating a profound understanding of the underlying structures that ground them. This book introduces a valuable new method that is certain to fill explanatory gaps across disciplines.