What is General: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, or marines.In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel.The term general is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer and as a specific rank.
It originates in the 16th century, as a shortening of captain general, which rank was taken from Middle French capitaine général.
The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.
Today, the title of general is known in some countries as a four-star rank. However, different countries use different systems of stars or other insignia for senior ranks. It has a NATO rank scale code of OF-9 and is the highest rank currently in use in a number of armies, air forces, and marine organizations.

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  1. L

    General Rel, deflected light around sun.

    Homework Statement See Attachment Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution So basically I will not bother writing the derivation from my notes but ultimately it turns out an approximation of deflected light around a mass body is 2\delta\phi=4GM/R where R is distance of closest...
  2. B

    Finding the general solution of the given differential equation

    y"+2y'+y=2e^-t I tried to find the solution for this nonhomogenous diff. Equation but i could not. First i took a function Y(t)=Ae^-t but i was getting 0=2e^-t. To get rid of that i took another y'+y=2e^-t and found the solution y=2te^-t + ce^-t. Noticed that first part of this finding is...
  3. E

    How to determine Tchebysheff polynomial general expression

    Hello! Tchebysheff polynomials are often defined with trigonometric functions: T_m (x) = \begin{cases} \cos(m \arccos (x)) & -1 \le x \le 1\\ \mathrm{cosh} (m \mathrm{arccosh} (x)) & x > 1\\(-1)^m \mathrm{cosh} (m \mathrm{arccosh} |x|) & x < 1 \end{cases} But they are also polynomials, and...
  4. AJKing

    Can step functions have inverse relationships?

    If a function s(t) exists, does a function t(s) always exist? Are there functions with no inverse relationships? Suppose s = \int^t_a e^{u^2} du Can there be a t(s)?
  5. B

    Archived Derive the general solution for current in a lossless transmission line

    Homework Statement Find the general solution for the current I(z,t) associated with the voltage V(z,t).Do this by substituting [1] into [2] and [3], integrate with respect to time, and then take the derivative with respect to z. Homework Equations V(z,t)= f+(t-z/vp) + f-(t+z/vp) [1]...
  6. T

    [Gravity in general relativity] I dont understand this help

    Please view the following... http://www.wimp.com/visualizegravity/ This is the way scientists try to explain the warping of space to explain gravity effects between to objects. The very demonstration requires gravity to work! Why does one object track along the displaced track to begin...
  7. G

    Energy shifts in general relativity

    Hi, In classical and quantum physics and even in special relativity, shifting the energy of a system by a constant (i.e. resetting the zero point) changes nothing in the dynamics and is not observable. In quantum field theory, we even have to shift by an infinite (but "constant") energy to...
  8. N

    How are dark matter, general relativity, and standard model related?

    In other words, can dark matter be reconciled with GR without drastically changing the idea that force is due to space-time curvature? and in the case of the standard model is there any thoughts of how the force of dark matter is transmitted via the exchange of a particle? It seems that this...
  9. B

    Time-Indep General Relativity: Can Someone Help Understand Equation (10)?

    Hello, Can someone please help me to understand equation (10) from this article http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0607020. I do not see how does spherically symmetric tensor must (can) be written in that form. Thanks, Benjamin
  10. T

    MHB Finding a general formula for a sequence (x_k)

    I'm trying to do 3 questions, each one a bit more complex than the previous, but all have the same ideas. ( 2) has 1 more term than 1, 3) is with imaginary numbers) Could someone please guide me on how to do them? Am I trying to substitute things into each other? Suppose that the sequence x0...
  11. F

    General Question about circuits

    Homework Statement I have a general question concerning circuits. I am a bit confused as to how to determine when the current is negative. For instance, on circuit diagrams, we are shown arrows that indicate the positive direction of current. Then, when we open the switch on the circuit...
  12. shounakbhatta

    Basic Findings of Special & General Relativity

    Special and General relativity --Basic findings Hello All, Kindly note that it is not a home work. The Special Relativity (SR) and the General Relativity (GR) has some basic findings. I mean to say that say, SR:has some findings like: (a) The speed of light c is constant. (b) The...
  13. STEMucator

    Some questions about what math ##is## in general

    What are theorems (lemmas, axioms, etc) exactly? I know what a theorem is, and I know how theorems are motivated; I also know what lemmas and axioms are. My question concerns something a little deeper. Are these theorems and mathematical tools we have merely a consequence of the way...
  14. T

    What is the meaning of enthalpy of the products in a chemical reaction?

    Homework Statement I am studying enthalpy and heat transfer and I have a question that has been bugging me. It is said the that the enthalpy change is the enthalpy of the products minus the enthalpy of the reactants. However, I understand that it is not possible to measure the total...
  15. R

    What is the simplest way to explain general and/or special relativity?

    Recently (or a few weeks ago), I've started to take interest in the idea of relativity but after watching many videos and reading a couple of websites, I still don't think that I really understand it. I'm probably not suppose to understand it (or at least not yet) considering that I'm still...
  16. T

    General topology of a two terminal electrical device

    There are several possible topologies for an electrical circuit. However, if we limit our circuit to be a two terminal device, how will this limit the options for the different topologies? I am a beginner in this field, but as far as I can tell by drawing the circuits, the only possible...
  17. Saitama

    Given general term - find limits and comparison

    Homework Statement Let ##\displaystyle a_n=\frac 1 2+\frac 1 3+...+\frac 1 n##. Then A)##a_n## is less than ##\displaystyle \int_2^n\frac{dx}{x}##. B)##a_n## is greater than ##\displaystyle \int_1^n\frac{dx}{x}##. C)##\displaystyle \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{a_n}{\ln n}=1##...
  18. A

    What constitutes general knowledge?

    Wikipedia says it a collection of culturally valued knowledge. What exactly is culturally valued? These are the types of questions generally asked: - 1) Name of the nth U.S. president 2) Location of some river or place 3) Birthdate of some famous person etc. Why are these questions...
  19. Feodalherren

    General question about differentiating power series

    Say I have a simple series like \Sigma^{∞}_{n=0} X^{n} When I differentiate this series the first term goes to 0 because it's a constant. Does that mean that I have to adjust the index of the series from n=0 to n=1? If I don't do it, the first term still goes to zero as n(x^(n-1)) when n=0...
  20. R

    General relativity and invariant mass

    The invariant mass of special relativity: m_0{^2} = E^2 – p^2 There doesn't seem to be any quantity with units of mass that is invariant in general relativity. Invariant mass loses significance, as other than an approximation where space-time is sufficient flat. But at the same time, mass is...
  21. shounakbhatta

    General relativity - Conceptual question

    General relativity -- Conceptual question Hello, I have a conceptual question. May be I am sounding a little bit idiotic, so apologize for that. I believe, there is no harming in knowing that I am wrong. Einstein's general theory of relativity describes gravity as a geometry of space...
  22. B

    Mixture Mass & Mole Relationships: A General Overview

    This is a more general question: is it always true for a mixture that if we define M(average) such that m(total) = n(total) * M(average), where n(total) is the total number of moles of species in the mixture (summed over all species) and m(total) is the total mass of the mixture, then M(average)...
  23. O

    Understanding the General Solution of a Differential Equation

    Hello - I asked a similar question before, but it was not resolved for me, and the person who answered was rude, so I did not continue the conversation. I read this here: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/DE/SecondOrderConcepts.aspx "If y_1(t) and y_2(t)are two solutions to a...
  24. A

    Projection of space curves onto general planes

    So I've encountered many "what is the projection of the space curve C onto the xy-plane?" type of problems, but I recently came across a "what is the project of the space curve C onto this specific plane P?" type of question and wasn't sure how to proceed. The internet didn't yield me answers so...
  25. R

    Newton's law of gravity or Einstein's general theory of relativity?

    I don't know much about the two ideas but I'm confused because the two theories seem to contradict each other, if all matter (with mass) bends space, then there is no such thing as "gravity", or maybe gravity is just the actual bending of space, so should we refute the idea of "gravity"? or just...
  26. N

    Exploring General Relativity: Bullet and Light Acceleration Discrepancy

    Well, here's the scenario I am particularly curious about: A riffle barrel and a laser point directly towards a target some distance away. Now, General relativity says that the bullet and the light experience the same downward acceleration during horizontal travel, yet the bullet hits...
  27. H

    Question regarding the qualitative difference between General Relativi

    I have a question regarding the qualitative difference between General Relativity and classical Newtonian gravity. I understand this difference in theory (warped space-time as opposed to a force operating in flat space). However, I read an article (taken with a grain of salt) which claimed...
  28. P

    Non-maths general question on history of space time

    Non-maths general question on history of space time :) Hello, I'm doing a Bsc project on space-time and was hoping to receive some advice on how others would structure the history of the topic. I know this is a broad question but what I'm struggling with is how to narrow down the relevant...
  29. O

    General Question on scales at grocery stores

    In grocery stores I often see the scales. It's basically a frame connected to a vertical spring, with the spring compressed at amount x. Next, I drop an apple on it from a certain distance above the bottom of the frame. I want to calculate how far the spring will extend. So for this...
  30. P

    Proving general solution of Helmholtz equation

    Homework Statement Prove that F(k•r -ωt) is a solution of the Helmholtz equation, provided that ω/k = 1/(µε)1/2, where k = (kx, ky, kz) is the wave-vector and r is the position vector. In F(k•r -ωt), “k•r –ωt” is the argument and F is any vector function. Homework Equations Helmholtz...
  31. N

    Four amateur questions about gravity and general relativity

    Hi everyone, I've been reading posts here occasionally, and have been impressed with the amount and quality of knowledge that is being shared. I've just registered, and as my first thread I thought I would post some questions / thoughts that have puzzled me for a long time, related to...
  32. Math Amateur

    MHB Field Theory - General Question

    I am studying field theory. A general question I have is the following: Let E \supseteq F be fields and let u \in E . Now, if I determine an irreducible polynomial f in F[x] such that f(u) = 0 in E, can I conclude that I have found the minimal polynomial of u over F. Can someone...
  33. teroenza

    Schools General GRE Math Score Importance to Engineering Schools

    Hello, I am a physics major who is going to graduate soon, and am taking the general and physics GREs. I am looking at both physics and engineering graduate schools. I believe that the physics GRE is pretty much irrelevant to engineering schools, but I have had difficulty with the...
  34. P

    General question on multivariate calculus

    Just started multivariate course, can't figure out this simple question. If f(u,v,w) is a function of 3 variables. And u, v and w are themselves function of t. Then does f(u,v,w)=0 implies df/dt=0 or df/du=0. or both.
  35. Mandelbroth

    General Conditions for Stokes' Theorem

    What is the least restrictive set of conditions needed to utilize the formula ##\int\limits_{\Omega}\mathrm{d}\alpha=\int\limits_{\partial\Omega} \alpha##?
  36. N

    Term scattering more of a general process

    term “scattering” more of a general process Is the term “scattering” more of a general process which incorporates the linear effects of reflection, refraction and diffraction?
  37. K

    MHB Finding limsup & liminf of Sequence of Sets $A_n$

    I would like to know if there is a general formula, and if so, what it is, for finding the $limsup$ and $liminf$ of a sequence of sets $A_n$ as $n\rightarrow \infty$. I know the following examples: **(1)** for $A_n=(0,a_n], (a_1,a_2)=(10,200)$, $a_n=1+1/n$ for $n$ odd and $a_n=5-1/n$ for $n$...
  38. Evo

    What are the guidelines for discussing speculative topics in the forum?

    In addition to the Global Guidelines, these rules also apply to posts in the lounge. Overly Speculative Posts It is against our Posting Guidelines to discuss new or non-mainstream theories or ideas that have not been published in professional peer-reviewed journals or are not part of current...
  39. G

    MHB A proof of a general property of norms

    So I have been asked to prove a result that is supposedly valid for any norm on any vector space. The statement to prove is: | ||x|| - ||y|| | <= ||x - y|| The problem is, I have no idea where to start with this proof. Maybe I'm missing some fundamental property of norms, but it seems that...
  40. P

    MHB How many solutions for this general equation?

    I was wondering if there is any way to know in general how many real solutions $x^n=n^x$ may have with n being a positive integer. Thanks! Using IVT one can see that if n is even there must be at least three solutions, and if n is odd there exists at least two. But are these the "sharpest" bounds?
  41. S

    Optical scope for general purpose

    Hi, I'm interested in doing small projects for curiosity. I'm designing an optical structure as shown below. Please tell me what kind of lenses (concave, convex, plano concave etc.. ) to be used at different points of the structure.
  42. L

    Electrical Circuit Analysis vs General Physics w/ Calculus

    Hi. So, currently I'm a senior in high school taking classes at the community college (my high school is paying for them) and I am having trouble deciding between these two courses. I learned that General Physics w/ Calculus doesn't actually have that much calculus, and I already learned a...
  43. Ascendant78

    General question regarding positive and negatives in equations?

    Homework Statement I am trying to understand when the positive or negative of a specific value in an equation (work-energy and momentum-impulse) is to be evaluated based off the motion diagram and when it is not? Homework Equations The ones in particular I am unsure about is...
  44. N

    General relativity lectures by leonard susskind on youtube

    I've been watching leonard susskind's lectures on general relativity on youtube, I'm now at the fifth of them. It is my first exposure to general relativity and so far the lectures are pretty easy to follow. So my question is this, to anyone who has had more exposure to the subject: Do you...
  45. C

    General: Calculating the Moment of Inertia

    Hey, sorry for not using the exact template; I just have a general question about how to calculate the moment of inertia that I will have to apply to a number of instances. In this particular case, I need to calculate the moment of inertia for a rod pendulum. Of course, I could just use...
  46. D

    General: How do you approach/think of a problem?

    This is a general question, so I hope you don't mind the lack of specificity. How do you guys approach or think through any given problem? It's my first semester in undergrad physics and I find that, while I'm capable of doing the math, I'm bogged down or get side tracked in the process of A...
  47. S

    How do I find the complete solution for x'=(2, 3, -1, -2)x+(e^t, t)?

    Find the general solution of x'=(2, 3, -1, -2)x+(e^t, t). (this is 2x2 matrix, 2 and 3 on the left, -1 and -2 on the right. and e^t on top, t on bottom. I know that the answer for 2x2 matrix is c1*(1, 1)e^t+c2*(1, 3)e^-t but I don't know how to get the other part.)
  48. T

    How much do you memorize to do general derivatives/integrals?

    How much do you memorize to do general derivatives/integrals? While it is possible to do everything by going back to first principles, I imagine it gets exhausting to do so every time. So which derivatives/integrals do you memorize? Are the ones that I have attached to this post good enough to...
  49. S

    Express the general solution?

    Express the general solution of x'=(1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 0, -2, 1)x in terms of real-valued functions. (this is 3x3 matrix, 1, 2, 3 on the left, 0, 1, 2 in the middle, 0, -2 and 1 on the right. I found that the roots are 1, 1+2i, 1-2i. And a=2, b=-3, c=2 for the first root. a=0, b=1, c=i for the...
  50. S

    General Solution for a 2x2 Matrix Differential Equation

    Express the general solution of x'=(2, 9/5, -5/2, -1)x in terms of real-valued functions. (this is 2x2 matrix, 2 and 9/5 on the left, -5/2 and -1 on the right. The complex roots are (1/2)+(3/2)i and (1/2)-(3/2)i and a=1, b=(3/5)+(3/5)i for the first root. And a=1, b=(3/5)-(3/5)i for the...
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