Recent content by flyinjoe

Ok, excellent. So what, if anything, is the geometric or physical meaning of the Ricci tensor if it has no general relationship with volume?

Hi Bill, Thanks for the response. In this paper: http://arxiv.org/pdf/gr-qc/0401099v1.pdf the author writes, "So in roughly the same sense that the Riemann tensor governs the evolution of a vector or a displacement parallel propagated along a geodesic, the Ricci tensor governs the evolution of...

Hello, I am studying general relativity right now and I am very curious about the Ricci tensor and its meaning. I keep running into definitions that explain how the Ricci tensor describes the deviation in volume as a space is affected by gravity. However, I have yet to find any quantitative...

Yes, sorry, I am sort of using normal as a synonym for orthogonal. Essentially, how would vector that is normal to a surface in Minkowski spacetime differ from a vector normal to the same surface embedded in Euclidean space? I was thinking it had something to do with the magnitude function in...

What is the difference between the normal in Minkowski spacetime and the normal in Euclidean space?

HallsofIvy, thanks for the response! Sorry my question was sort of ambivalent. By 'the' basis, I meant 'a' basis. That's a very concise and helpful explanation. Thank you!

I've looked at this topic for a while and I have yet to come to any sort of conclusive answer when it comes to calculating the basis of a surface's tangent vector. Do you have a concrete method or know where I can find one for doing this? Thank you

Thanks for the excellent information!

Well I did, and he told me to come back with what I wanted to study (he's pretty busy).

Hello, I am currently in high school and I recently got the opportunity to do an independent study with one of my teachers and I am struggling to come up with what to study. I have taken calculus 1, 2, and 3, differential equations (with a bit of linear algebra), and calculus-based mechanics and...

My general solution is x(t) = c1e-5tcos(731t) + c2e-5tsin(731t) + 19/932 * cos(t/2) + 50/9599.6 * sin(t/2) I haven't solved for constants yet.

The force when it's just hanging there is F = m * g = 5 * (9.81) = 49.05 And if F = -kx, k should equal 490.5. Using the initial condition of γ(.04 m/s) = 2 N, γ = 50. (Where γx' is the force due to damping). When I plug this in and solve the DE, I get really bizarre values for the...

I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Are you referring to the motion of an undamped spring with no resonance?

Homework Statement A mass of 5kg stretches a spring 10cm. The mass is acted upon by an external force of 10sin(t/2) Newtons and moves in a medium that imparts a viscous force of 2N when the speed of the mass is 4cm/sec. If the mass is set in motion from its equilibrium position with an initial...

Sorry if I am woefully uninformed, but I am really curious. What happens to time at the center of a black hole according to general relativity?