What is References: Definition and 143 Discussions

Reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to refer to the second object. It is called a name for the second object. The second object, the one to which the first object refers, is called the referent of the first object. A name is usually a phrase or expression, or some other symbolic representation. Its referent may be anything – a material object, a person, an event, an activity, or an abstract concept.
References can take on many forms, including: a thought, a sensory perception that is audible (onomatopoeia), visual (text), olfactory, or tactile, emotional state, relationship with other, spacetime coordinate, symbolic or alpha-numeric, a physical object or an energy projection. In some cases, methods are used that intentionally hide the reference from some observers, as in cryptography.References feature in many spheres of human activity and knowledge, and the term adopts shades of meaning particular to the contexts in which it is used. Some of them are described in the sections below.

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  1. blue_leaf77

    Material in STEM needs to have references

    Hasn't somebody thought that any material posted under STEM learning material should have at least one reference (preferably books or papers) written along? The purpose of the author who wrote the material is obviously for the material to be of use for the readers who are in need in the related...
  2. pinu

    Good references for quantum spin chains

    Hi folks, I work in theoretical high energy physics. Recently I got interested in condensed matter theory. But each time I see some spin system I get scared thinking another one must be waiting for me! Can some one suggest me some reference(s) where these spin chains, specially those which are...
  3. S

    References for Randomness & Pseudorandomness

    I wish to understand something about randomness and Pseudorandomness. In particular, given a set of "seemingly-random" numbers, what can one do to analyse as to whether they are randomly generated numbers or just a pseudorandom sequence. Can somebody point me to Good, pedagogical Referances in...
  4. Soumalya

    Prob/Stats References to Probability & Statistics for Engineers

    I am looking for an introductory reference to the subjects 'Probability and Statistics' intended to be used for self study.By an introductory reference I mean an undergraduate level text that would teach me the subjects from the very basic to an advanced level.I wish to focus primarily on...
  5. SixNein

    References for Improving and Maintaining Relationships

    The following are some good references that I recommend on building and maintain relationships: Dating: Every person should read about attachment theory. An understanding of attachment theory allows one to not only understand his or her self, but it will also help understand partners...
  6. G

    What are the most frequently cited physics textbooks?

    What are the most frequently cited __________ textbooks in the physics literature? Where __________ is: thermodynamics quantum mechanics classical mechanics electromagnetism etc. ? I'm looking for lists based on citation statistics. Surely there are citations data out there on this.
  7. Soumalya

    References to Engineering Mechanics

    Hi, I am looking for a really good reference textbook for learning classical mechanics.I understand it's pretty absurd to quote the subject as references to "Engineering Mechanics" as it's nothing different from the classical mechanics in physics.But I am looking for a perfect reference...
  8. R

    Opinions on the inclusion of internet references in a dissertation

    I am currently writing my final year dissertation and have referenced not only academic papers but some internet sources that I have quoted or taken diagrams from. In particular I have referenced Wiki two times. I am concerned as I feel the inclusion of internet links is somewhat frowned upon...
  9. S

    Book References [honours maths in UK]

    Hello I am doing an honours course in Maths in India. I am in my second year. We mostly read books written by Indian authors and some US authors. However, I would like to know what books undergraduates in the UK refer to for the following topics, (since I wish to do my Masters and my Doctorate...
  10. Medicol

    Personal Statement and Letter of recommendation and References

    I find that people from North America tend to require them for school or job admission but I find them pretty useless myself. 1. Personal statement: will probably work like a job application's cover letter. Perhaps they want to read the applicant's writing skill; other than that I don't have a...
  11. PhysicsKid0123

    Need help understanding relative motion and frame of references

    Okay guys, I still feel like I don't quite understand these concepts well enough. Do you guys have any websites or links to help me understand these concepts better? I feel like I only partially understand these concepts. I also feel like I partially understand the application of the mathematics...
  12. Z

    Books or references for nuclear structure?

    Although I am a newer publishing thread here, I notice this forums for a long time. And I hope someone could help me. I am doing some nuclear reaction research and want to shift myself to the nuclear structure area. I can find some references for some special topic. While I think I...
  13. A.T.

    Why does a helicopter lift off the ground?

    Agreed. The misunderstanding comes from the ambiguity of the word "pushing". I interpreted it as "applying a force", so a helicopter is pushing the air that it accelerates. [mod note: split from here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=762789 ]
  14. S

    Physics Newbie - Newtons 1st Law - Frames of References & Observers

    Hi All Let me start by saying that I am new to this forum and I am new to physics. I've always had an interest in getting an entry level understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion. I also apologize if these questions are a bit stupid or overly covered in other posts. I watched a Yale video...
  15. W

    Relativistic electron theory references?

    It was hard to decide where to post this. I want it to be in the right section (maybe textbook discussion or academic guidance) but I also want people that would know the answer to see it. Mods can move it if needed. I'm looking for something to read other than Merzbacher chapter 24. I just...
  16. P

    Can mutations be inherited by children? References wanted

    Hi, Consider person A. She has a (genetic) mutation in trait T. By comparing to her parents, we conclude that T was not inherited from parents since they lack T. Now A marry another person B. He has a moderate "amount" of T. They give birth to a child C. I know that there are probabilities...
  17. B

    Who to use as references for physics faculty applications?

    Hello, I am a post-doc in condensed matter theory (about to finish my 3rd year of my first post-doc) who is about to start applying for faculty positions. I am not sure who to use for my three references. Of course I will use my current adviser. Is it typical/ok to use my PhD adviser as well...
  18. pinu

    Can anyone suggest good CFT references?

    Can anyone suggest "good" CFT references? Well, by "good" I mean the way they describe the theory are physical rather than mathematical. Actually I want to understand statistical mechanics using CFT as a tool. Thanks in advance!
  19. fluidistic

    Neuroscience Neural impulse, references and ideas

    Hello people, I would like some references, be it book or papers about the process of neural impulses at a single neuron level. My only reference so far is a book from 1974 (Stochastic models in biology) and so is probably outdated despite having around 30 pages on the subject. The more...
  20. C

    Ultimate Calculus Reference - Get Answers Quickly!

    I was wondering what everyone used for a calculus reference. I use the "Ultimate Calculus Reference" on the ibook. My tutor recommended it to me. It is so much better than the what my professor gave me. I love that I can just search for the integral I need without flipping pages. What about...
  21. P

    Help in fuel cell main references

    Hi As I am preparing for a presentation about modern http://scopewe.com/tag/fuel-cell-2/ I need some reference books or articles about fuel cells and the technology of these cells. I appreciate any information about these cells: 1.Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) 2.Alkaline fuel cell (AFC)...
  22. J

    Acoustic Communiaction References

    I'm doing a research paper about electronic wireless communication using sound. I've got a few reference regarding its use in underwater networks, networking within a body in a medical context, and one regarding communicating information through a steel wall (such as a sealed pressure vessel)...
  23. P

    References for design of electrical systems for buildings

    Hi everyone! Design of electrical systems for buildings is the field I want to engage in the future. I have already basic concepts learned about this. But I want to improve myself in this field. I am looking for a reliable and organized reference. Please help me choose the book/reference I...
  24. Q

    What are some helpful resources for understanding inorganic chemistry concepts?

    Hi all. So I study math and physics now after switching majors from chemistry. Most everything that held my fascination in chemistry was more rooted in physics and quite frankly inorganic and organic chemistry made me seriously consider living as a hermit in the frozen tundra of Alaska...
  25. M

    Can't get styles to work on the fist page of References - TeX

    Hi all, The references have about 10 pages, and I set them to be fancy, ie, footers, headers, page numbers etc... but this will only work from the second page on. The first page won't accept any other settings but LaTeX defaults. Does anyone know how to fix this? Any help will be very...
  26. B

    Transposing a line with known references

    Hi, I have a question for a desing I am working on. I want to model it in excel and I am having a hard time finding out how to transpose some lines: Let Bar B's position and dimensions be known, and I want bar B to be set in 3 positions, I can however apply joints to anyplace near or at bar B...
  27. M

    Can't get references sorted alphabetically with BibTeX

    Hi all, Could you help me figure out what packages I should use to get all references sorted alphabetically? These are the packages and settings I'm using... I've tested many without success: \usepackage{natbib} \bibpunct{(}{)}{;}{a}{,}{,} %... \bibliographystyle{plainnat}...
  28. WannabeNewton

    Thomas Precession references

    Hello! I was wondering if anyone knew of any good references (texts or whatever) to learn about the Thomas Precession. None of the current textbooks I own talk about it (maybe there is a chapter on it in Wald? I can't seem to find anything). In particular, I am dealing with a calculation...
  29. U

    Application asking for five references - I don't have that many

    I am considering applying for a tenure-track faculty appointment at the assistant professor level. The call for applications requests contact information for five references. In the past eight or so years, I have had two bosses (my PhD advisor and postdoc mentor) who will surely provide...
  30. Einj

    References for thin film physics?

    Hi all, I'm studying for the GRE test and I have noticed that sometimes questions about thin film appear. Is there any reference where I can learn some basical knowledge about thin film reflection and refraction? I'm not looking for something deep. Just a general overview. Thanks
  31. S

    Entanglement across different frames of references

    What is the effect of differing frames of references between entangled particles? For example, let's look at the below scenario: Photons are entangled in Alice's frame of reference on say earth. Photon B is put on Bob's spaceship that travels at say 95% the speed of light. The other photon A...
  32. K

    Need lectures of good references of AC synchronous and questions

    need lectures of good references of AC synchronous and links if you have ... and I wonder why the field of it is DC ?
  33. N

    Why classics assumed that the force constant in two different references frames?

    hi every one :) i need a small help please ... we have tow frames and tow observers , let suppose there is a force on an object in one of the frames , so from Newton law: f=ma "a" depend on "x" distance which is not constant in the other frame , so why they assumed that it is constant...
  34. Saladsamurai

    References for Design Engineers (Must Haves)

    Hello all, I was wondering what kind of references design engineers like to have handy? So far, I have Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design and Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain What other references do you like to have on your bookshelf? Thanks :smile:
  35. Einj

    References for Nash's game theory

    Hi all. I recently watched a documentary about John Nash's game theory and I'd like to study more about that. My present mathematical knowledge is that of a particle physics student at his fourth year. Is my preparation enough? If so, can someone advise some references where I could study?
  36. A

    Mathematics required to become a physicist + References ?

    Hi guys, I'm passionately curious about physics and applying it to pure mathematics, but for some reason I'm learning medical field and I'm senior high school student, What I want to know is : 1 - Which books should I cover to become good at mathematics ? 2 - How did Albert Einstein do that...
  37. A

    Trying to find references for polarization effect of Normal Zeeman Effect

    Hi, I am trying to find a resource that can explain how σ and ∏ lines obtain their polarizations. I have not found resource that actually show the calculation or solid explanation that show this.The references are usually state that σ and ∏ have circular polarization and linear polarization...
  38. B

    Decent references for SN2 displacement of tosylate with acetylide

    i'm having trouble finding good references for lithiating a terminal alkyne and reacting that acetylide with a tosylate, and my goto procedure didn't work. can anyone give me a hand? procedure i did try: alkyne in THF at -78 1.0 eq nBuLi added 1.0 eq tosylated phenylethanol added (color...
  39. Physics Monkey

    What are some recommended resources for an introduction to compressed sensing?

    Not sure if this is best subforum for this ... but what I'm looking for is some recommendations for books/articles containing a nice introduction to compressed sensing. I'm not a mathematician although I would like to think I'm relatively mathematically sophisticated. I appreciate proofs in...
  40. H

    Uncertain about references for application to Cambridge part III (Math.tripos)

    Hello, I consider starting a master in theoretical physics in a little more than a year. Currently I'm halfway doing a bachelor in both (applied) physics and mathematics and so far it is going pretty good. I looked around a bit on the internet and came across the Cambridge website and read as...
  41. A

    References for a Lightspeed Ship

    I searched this site and could not find any referances for what a good lightspeed ship would look like. Does anyone know of any good books or references on how to design ships that travel near light speed? Here's a few things I do know people speculate on: It would be sleek. Stationary...
  42. W

    How can I add a resizable table to a form in MS Access 2000?

    Please, help me to add References to add table tool in a form in MS Access 2000. I want to add table in a form that can resize the column width by click and drag it.
  43. A

    How Relevant Are 1960s Solenoid Design Principles Today?

    Hey everyone, I'm looking for some references on solenoid design - core materials, geometry, etc etc etc. Can anyone suggest me some canonical references that I should check out? All the books I've found are from the 60s or so. Thanks!
  44. E

    Time dilation derivations - help me out just looking for references

    I'm looking for another derivation of time dilation which does not involve moving clocks or mirrors... I feel like those aren't very clear - is there any other way time dilation has been derived? thanks
  45. K

    Understanding Scattering Theory: Seeking Easy-to-Read References

    Currently, I am combating against the "Scattering theory" with J J Sakurai’s Textbook. The Lippman- Schwinger Equation, S matrix, T matrix, Optical Theorem,... But I find the explanation in Sakurai's book is not very clear or pedagogical. I want to find some easy-to-read references to have...
  46. S

    Confusion with proper time from different frame of references

    I'm having trouble getting my head around the idea of 'proper time'. I've been thinking of this situation and I can't seem to understand what exactly the proper time is. Say we have a planet 'A' and a rocket B moving towards this planet. From the perspective of A, B is moving towards A. If an...
  47. D

    Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Textbooks & References

    hi can anybody please suggest me the good textbooks or references to study the Finite Element Analysis for undergraduate program level...
  48. Y

    Any good references of Petrov Classification?

    Is there any good references of Petrov Classification? Thank you.
  49. M

    LaTeX Latex - Multiple references in one citation

    Guys, I am trying to get my citations to do a "through" type thing, ala,. . .gotten using this method [1-4]. Rather, I am getting an entire listing, ala. . . gotten using this method [1, 2, 3, 4]. I am simply using . . . gotten using this method~\cite{ref1,ref2,re3,ref4}. which...
  50. M

    Energy capacity to do work (frames of references)

    I have a problem understanding how we can say that an object has energy of x joules because energy depends on the frame of reference right ? I mean let say a bird is moving with velocity of 5 m/s if I were a stationary man I would observe that it has a kinetic energy but if I were moving with 5...
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