What is Competition: Definition and 119 Discussions

Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, individuals, economic and social groups, etc. The rivalry can be over attainment of any exclusive goal, including recognition: (e.g. awards, goods, mates, status, prestige), leadership, market share, niches and scarce resources, or a territory.
Competition occurs in nature, between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. Animals compete over water supplies, food, mates, and other biological resources. Humans usually compete for food and mates, though when these needs are met deep rivalries often arise over the pursuit of wealth, power, prestige, and fame when in a static, repetitive, or unchanging environment. Competition is a major tenet of market economies and business, often associated with business competition as companies are in competition with at least one other firm over the same group of customers. Competition inside a company is usually stimulated with the larger purpose of meeting and reaching higher quality of services or improved products that the company may produce or develop.
Competition is often considered to be the opposite of cooperation, however in the real world, mixtures of cooperation and competition are the norm. In economies, as the philosopher R. G. Collingwood argued "the presence of these two opposites together is essential to an economic system. The parties to an economic action co-operate in competing, like two chess players". Optimal strategies to achieve goals are studied in the branch of mathematics known as game theory.
Competition has been studied in several fields, including psychology, sociology and anthropology. Social psychologists, for instance, study the nature of competition. They investigate the natural urge of competition and its circumstances. They also study group dynamics, to detect how competition emerges and what its effects are. Sociologists, meanwhile, study the effects of competition on society as a whole. Additionally, anthropologists study the history and prehistory of competition in various cultures. They also investigate how competition manifested itself in various cultural settings in the past, and how competition has developed over time.

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  1. sroberti

    Fluid Dynamics: Maximizing Downforce Between a Robot and the Floor

    Good evening, all! Some quick background: I am working on a robot for a competition that strictly limits entry weights to 3lb. Robot speed & acceleration are highly desirable in this competition, so I have been focusing on ways to maximize my entry's performance. Drive motors for these...
  2. A

    Plate sliding on ice with friction (Physics competition question)

    I reason the frictional force on the plate from the ice is doing work first 3 meters (while the motorbike is moving on top) and then an "x" distance after the motorbike has left it. Does anybody have an idea of how one might solve this problem?
  3. Jarvis323

    Tesla's Vortex (Mathologer Coding Competition)

    Mathologer made a cool video recently about "Tesla's Vortex", or rather a cool method of generating patterns using repeated multiplication and modulus to generate repeating sequences, and then plotting those sequences around a circle. This creates cardiods and other related patterns, a different...
  4. sauravp

    How to make an accurate and consistent turret for this projectile competition?

    Summary:: What propelling mechanism can get me most consistent shots? Compressed air, spring powered, rubber band powered or any other Hello, I am a high school student participating in a local competition where I have to make a turret. Here are the rules: 1) The projectile has to fall in a...
  5. nduka-san

    Misc. MIT Think Competition Project — Farming Robot

    this is a revision of an older thread that was not well organized and didn't have the full details of my project I am now restarting to get a better response from the community but keep the jokes those were pretty funny. BACKGROUND: 1 My goal is to make some revisions and finish a second idea...
  6. anemone

    MHB Unsolved competition inequality problem

    Given positive real numbers $a,\,b,\,c$ and $d$ that satisfy the following inequalities: $a \le 1 \\a+4b \le 17\\a+4b+16c \le273\\a+4b+16c+64d \le4369$ Find the minimum value of $\dfrac{1}{d}+\dfrac{2}{4c+d}+\dfrac{3}{16b+4c+d}+\dfrac{4}{64a+16b+4c+d}$.
  7. sbrothy

    Where Can I Find Information About the 2019 Programming Competition?

    I seem to have found a programming competition øen (for 2019),but I cannot find it again. Anyone have a clue where this went?
  8. J

    Exploring the Relationship between Entropy and Competition in Systems

    Is there any particular reason why entropy could not be a measure of or proxy for the level of competition within a system?
  9. BillTre

    Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition

    Entries can be viewed here. Here is the winner, some bouncing drops with quantum properties:
  10. Roberta314

    Physics Project Ideas for this Competition please (self-propelled car)

    Hey guys I'm currently working on a school physics project and I need some ideas for it. So basically the goal of the project is to create a vehicle that has to propel itself forward by firing a projectile backwards. The vehicle will be judged based on a scoring system that includes 3 criteria...
  11. B

    An ambigious optical system with ambigious solutions [JEE Adv - 20`16]

    This problem was asked in one of the most prestigious exams in India: JEE Advanced, unfortunately it was considered to be ambiguous for the scope of given examination and hence no official answer is issued for it as such.(BONUS marks to all) And so many solutions were posted on Internet which...
  12. M

    B Competitive math players -- How do they solve so fast?

    Hi, I have watched some videos of Raytheon Mathcounts Competitions and the likes on Youtube recently. I was awe struck by the shear speed that some of the players were able to solve the problems. Some, so fast that I don't believe a human brain could actually properly solve if given to randomly...
  13. J

    How can I improve my egg drop design using limited materials?

    Hey guys! So I will be doing the classic egg drop competition at school and was wondering if I could get some help. The materials I have is : 3 sheets of newspaper 5 popsicle sticks 10 wooden skewers 1m of masking tape hot glue I have to drop an egg multiple times (not sure the heights yet...
  14. L

    Kinetic Energy & Work Problem -- Tractor Pull Competition

    Homework Statement Homework Equations W = ΔKE W = KEf-KEi The Attempt at a Solution W = .5mvf2 -.5mvi2 I know that final KE for A is 4 times the KE of B because for A ... KEf = 1/2 m (2v)^2 4KE = 1/2 m v ^2 for A I don't know what initial KE for both of them are... so how do i know if that...
  15. ISamson

    Admissions Science Competition Entry Ideas

    I have decided to take part in a science competition for 2018. Link: https://eureka-entry.australianmuseum.net.au/school-science/sleek-geeks-science-eureka-prize-–-secondary I would love some advice of some topics I could make a 3 min presentation about. I am looking for original, interesting...
  16. E

    A tough mathematical question in a sport competition

    It is a difficult question but only can be solved with mathematical tools. In the 2 most important Australian competition (AFL and NRL) use a final stage that gives more advantage to those teams that ends better the regular season. The debate is that every spot you get better in regular season...
  17. R

    Can You Solve This Math Riddle About Sum and Product of Two Numbers?

    Just for fun and for community participation, I offer the following riddle. The person who answers first (with complete explanation of how the answer is deduced) wins a free copy of Understanding Our Unseen Reality: Solving Quantum Riddles. Question: Susie and Paula's teacher gives Susie the...
  18. poincare

    Schools Competition and funding for graduate school in Mathematics

    In graduate school for physics, the competition in certain fields(for example High Energy Theory) is very intense. Does anyone know how the situation is in fields of mathematics. So, which areas of mathematics are the most difficult to get into for grad school ? I would be particularly...
  19. Z

    Other I need a book for math competitions

    Hi As the title suggests, I'm looking for a math book that has some competition-style problems in it, with explanations on how to solve them. I have found numerous of other competitions online but the explanations are very not understandable for me. I am NOT talking about international...
  20. micromass

    Challenge Tough Riddle Competition - With prize

    Below are ##6## riddles. Everybody completing a riddle has a chance on winning the book "Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs". Rules: For an answer to count, the complete reasoning must be given, not just the answer. Do not answer a question you already know the answer to. If a question is already...
  21. L

    Egg Drop Competition - Using popsicle sticks vs straws

    All the videos I've looked at uses straws, but doesn't wood absorb the impact better? Is there a way to do a hybrid wood/straw setup for maximum absorption? Also, how is my idea? I am going to make a bedding from yarn and make it fairly tight. Then I'm going to connect to 4 popsicle sticks...
  22. A

    Help for Egg Drop Competition

    Hi, I have a egg drop competition coming up, and I am only able to use: Duct tape Hot Glue Egg 50 Wooden Craft Sticks I have no idea where to begin. The egg will be dropped from 3 meters. Any ideas?
  23. V

    Hello, I am Nick, a high school student

    Hello, As per the title - my name is Nick. I am soon to enter my senior year of high school. I come here partly due to recommendation of my teacher. This year, my plan is to participate in my city's annual science and engineering competition, which is connected to the Intel International...
  24. B

    Other Books for Problem-Solving Skills (i.e. Putnam)

    Dear Physics Forum advisers, My name is Phoenix Kim, a rising junior with major in mathematics and an aspiring applied mathematician & algebraist. I wrote this email to seek your recommendation on great books for problem-solving skills (techniques, strategies, etc.) in the mathematical...
  25. E

    SpaceX Can SpaceX Successfully Revolutionize Transportation with the Hyperloop?

    SpaceX is hosting an open competition for pod designs to test on the hyperloop 1 mile test-track they're going to build. http://www.spacex.com/hyperloop My question is this: to even begin THINK about designing a pod the way Elon envisions it, what sort of physics do I need to know? Any...
  26. L

    British Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition

    So I've been told recently, that I will be participating in the "British Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition", which I am really excited about. I took the British Physics Olympiad Paper earlier this year, and feel like I could've done better.So because I am quite new to Astronomy...
  27. B

    Nose cone for rocket competition

    Homework Statement Hello was wondering what nose cone I should put on my rocket. We need to reach around 800ft, any higher/lower and points are deducted. I don't know whether to go with a rounded cone, parabola I've seen or a pointed cone... Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I know I...
  28. GiantSheeps

    Stargazing Are there astronomy competitions?

    I run an astronomy club at my school, and I recently discovered that the robotics club gets $2000 from the school every year to build a robot. They then go on to compete in tournaments with that robot, so that justifies the $2000. It would be great if I could get the school to give us $2000 to...
  29. E

    Physics car tire throwing competition

    1. in a tire-throwing competition, a man holding a 23.5 kg car tire quickly swings the tire through three full turns and releases it, much like a discus thrower. the tire starts from rest and is then accelerated in a circular path. the orbital radius "r" for the tire's center of mass is 1.10 m...
  30. ahoback

    Aaron's Gravitational Potential Energy to Launch Projectile Science Competition

    Hello my name is Aaron! I am a high school senior from northeastern Kentucky designing a pneumatic system of sorts for a science competition and need some help. I will be building a device that converts gravitational potential energy, from a falling mass, into air pressure (or possibly the...
  31. epenguin

    Is the photo competition being abandoned?

    or made less than weekly?
  32. D

    Probability of winning in a competition (first, second and third)

    Homework Statement A and B are together with 5 other contestants take part in a competition. The winners are champion, first -runner up and second- runner up. Find the probability that A and B are winner my working is 3/7 x 2/6= 1/7 the ans is correct. but by doing so i assume A is...
  33. H

    Perfect Competition: Exploring Demand Curve & Marginal Revenue

    Hi, For a perfectly competitive firm, the demand curve is horizontal, and yet how do you have a downward sloping demand curve for the whole industry, assuming you're using horizontal summation? The curve should get flatter if you're summing them, not steeper. Also, is there any marginal...
  34. V

    How to make a fair model for competition please?

    Hi, English is not my native language. I manage first time a competition on social media, where: 1. people bring a photo and gather like on it. The top 3 likes will go to final, 2. in the final, they play with a small robot as a vacuum cleaner to clean an area of 1mX1.5m which has 1 pin in...
  35. R

    High School Physics Competition: Change in Entropy

    During a physics competition, I came across this question. My work was \begin{align*}\Delta S &= \frac{Q}{T} \\ \Delta S &= \frac{1.25 \times 10^3 \, \mathrm{J}}{348 \, \mathrm{K}} \\ \Delta S &= 3.59 \,\,\mathrm{\left( J/K\right )} \end{align*} but I was stuck in between two answer choices...
  36. S

    Questions about the ASME Student Design Competition 2014.

    This years ASME Student Design Competition is building a UAV to navigate a simple obstacle course and drop a 1 gram payload into a target zone. My question is, is anyone able to decipher their scoring criteria? The problem statement, guidelines, and rules...
  37. C

    How to Solve Problem #5 in the 2013 Math Awareness Competition

    Homework Statement http://www.math.ku.edu/mathawareness/2013competition/2013_9-12.pdf I am trying to figure out how to solve problem #5 in the link above. Homework Equations N/AThe Attempt at a Solution The answer they provided does not make sense to me. Can anyone explain? thanks
  38. AnTiFreeze3

    Monthly Physics Competition Questionnaire

    Each month I will be hosting a question that, if answered correctly, will result in a free book of my choice to be delivered to the winner of the competition. This month's prize: Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The question for this month is the following: Why is it that...
  39. S

    Competition between chemistry and physics?

    So...I've been set on majoring in physics for a long time, but today my chemistry teacher asked me what my major was going to be. I told her physics. So she's says "Why do you want to study physics!?" Did she say this because she teaches chemistry or what? At the beginning of the semester she...
  40. S

    Sumobot Competition: Torque vs RPM?

    hi .. ... i am entering a sumobot competition..weight limitation 1kg..dimensions 150mm*150mm...what is more important torque or rpm...say i have 10 rpm motors with 38kg torque ...and ..60 rpm motors with 20 kg torque...which should i go for...due to the size limitation ..i can go only for 2...
  41. B

    Normalization/Scaling of Competition Scores

    Hi, I was put in charge of coming up with a normalization/scaling scheme for a competition in which competitors are scored 0-100 by 6 judges and then the high and the low are dropped before the cumulative score is calculated. In past years we have found scores from judge to judge are not...
  42. B

    Math competition combinatorics problem help?

    This is a question taken from the AMC 2012 12 B exam held in February. I did not answer it during the exam, but now I try to complete all of it at home. I thought I found a solution, but it is not in the proposed choices, and so I am really lost... And the solution is not available for this...
  43. T

    Physics Rocket Competition

    Hi everyone, My high school class is doing a competition where we have to build a rocket out of a 2L pop bottle powered by compressed CO2 and launch it (not directly up but at an angle) we need to... -achieve maximum distance -have minimimal horizontal deviation -protect an egg that the...
  44. L

    Moving Airplane; Strongman Competition

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiestvrumYM Is this possible without assistance? I don't see how he could even get that plane moving. I think maybe he could KEEP it moving, but what do you guys think?
  45. D

    Micro: Perfect and Monopolistic Competition

    Hello guys, There is something that I should study but is not on my book. I am trying to find other explanations online but I can't. So, it's pretty much to calculate quantity and price for perfect competition and monopolistic competition. Then, consumer surplus for perfect competition...
  46. B

    New Research Grants and Student Essay Competition

    New Frontiers in Astronomy and Cosmology International Grant and Essay Competition Celebrating the Centenary of the Birth of Sir John Templeton Grants to support bold, innovative research by scientists and essay prizes to inspire a new generation of thinkers exploring these four deep and...
  47. M

    Preparing for Math Competitions: Recommended Books and Tips

    To start off with, my school has math competitions every semester, which unfortunately i missed the deadline to sign up. Anyways today I was looking at past comp tests questions and on average I was only able to answer 4-6 questions out of 20-23 questions which is saddening to me because I...
  48. Chi Meson

    Just won an early robotics competition

    I don't win that often. I'm not saying I'm a loser, either, just the kinda guy that keeps coming in 2nd, or 3rd and such. I'm used to it. So my team won the Suffield Shakedown, a pre-season scrimmage of the FIRST Robotics Competition. 30 teams were there, including some heavy New England...
  49. M

    Competition problems: 1. sequences/convergence 2. matrices

    Homework Statement I don't remember the exact problems but I'll try to recall it as best as I can. Given two positive real sequences a_{n}, b_{n}, with a_{1} = b_{1} = 1, and b_{n} = b_{n-1}a_{n} - 2. Show that \sum^{\infty}_{n=2} \frac{1}{a_{1}a_{2}\ldotsa_{n}} converges and find what it...
  50. N

    Gain competition in a laser

    Hi Gain comptetion in a laser is explained very nicely here...
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