i think you're both correct. it's all made up in the end but we try really hard to do the least amount of making shit up as we can.  "regular" math also has the bonus of actually fucking working in the real world. all of modern engineering, for example, is built on a foundation of math and the engines in our cars run while our pcs let us shitpost. i think we've got math close enough to the real thing that it's not worth it to worry about how much of it is made up. leave that sort of worry to the math people. we're already crazy so there's nothing to lose!
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