The 'Math is Always Right" Principle

This idea is due to Charlie Loelius and Owen Healy.

The Math is Always Right principle:

When a mathematical model and reality disagree, the interpretation is that the math behind it is right, but it is applied incorrectly to the situation.

Corollary:

This leads to the impression that math is always right.

Corollary:

This leads to the impression that reality is always wrong.

Example:

You predict the time for bottle of ketchup pushed off a table to hit the ground. The number is close but not quite right. The math behind the model (quadratic equations, the real number system, calculus) is considered to be fundamentally valid, but other factors (air resistance) made the model not completely accurate in this situation.

The interpretation you did not use is that the model is fundamentally right (takes into account the entire physical situation) but the math behind it (the real number system) is wrong in this case. Either interpretation could theoretically have been used to resolve the situation.

Another Example:

Catholicism = 2
Protestantism = 3
Judaism = 5

Therefore Catholicism + Protestantism = Judaism.

The math is clearly right, but the application to this situation is absurd.