Recent content by JDStupi

  1. J

    Shortest path to a point that doesn't pass through the given circle

    Forgive me if I'm being dense, but I still can't figure out how to use this. The point D is not given. All I have is the origin, my guess at a point E=(12,y) and my need for a point,D=(x,y), tangent to the circle and on the line that runs from the origin to E. I tried using your second...
  2. J

    Shortest path to a point that doesn't pass through the given circle

    This is my attempt at a solution. Point A is the center of the circle (6,8) and Point B is the given point (12,16). I believe that the shortest path would be the one that is equal to the sum of CE and EB or its symmetrical complement. (I forgot to put a point where the top line intersects the...
  3. J

    I with simple Differential Equation.

    :oops: Ah! You're the man! I knew I was being stupid and overlooking something simple. Thank you very much for the help, and for the latexhelp link.
  4. J

    I with simple Differential Equation.

    Homework Statement Hello, I'm trying to go back to school and haven't done any math in awhile, as such, my skills are terribly out of practice. I am unable to arrive at the book's solution and suspect I am forgetting a simple algebraic trick and would like somebody to show me it and explain the...
  5. J

    E-field between two concentric cylinders (not homework)

    Hi, I have a question. Suppose you have two concentric cylinders of radii a and b with opposite uniform surface charges, line charges or something to that effect. Now, I know (or was told) that the E-field between the two, that is for a<r<b, is equal to the field from the inner cylinder (radius...
  6. J

    Medical I want to cure a disorder. Help?

    I mean, I'm not hear to completely call you out, but what exactly were you dosed with and how much? ... I am just reluctant to believe that being dosed once would lead to HPPD, unless it was pretty serious. Admittedly, I am no expert and it only seems "fishy" to me that a disorder that has such...
  7. J

    Is there an equation to prove the Zeroth law of thermodynamics?

    lugita, be wary of characterizing temperature as "the average kinetic energy of molecules". I know you said "for two ideal gases" and this is decent for two ideal gases and for many physical systems, but not all. You may be aware of this already and I may just be telling you what you already...
  8. J

    Is there an equation to prove the Zeroth law of thermodynamics?

    I mean, operationally it is a pretty sound observation/principle of thermal equilibrium. If you want an equation you can use the general definition of temperature, namely that T=(\partialS/\partialU)-1. From this it is fairly easy to show. You can say that n systems are in thermal equilibrium...
  9. J

    Does an object stop when reversing direction?

    Yea, just basically adding to what others said, you can just think about it as an application of the intermediate value theorem. Namely, we are describing the motion of bodies in a continuous fashion, the I.M.T. states that if f is a real-valued continuous function on some interval [a, b] and z...
  10. J

    What is the connection between Maxwell's Demon and Liouville's Theorem?

    In case anyone is interested, I have posted an attachement of a paper on "The Gibbs Paradox" by E.T. Jaynes. It seems relevent, especially because Rap posted about particle indistinguishability. Jaynes seems to be taking a viewpoint similar to Ken G's; namely that entropy is largely related to...
  11. J

    Writing mathematical proofs has greatly improved my life

    Lol, are you a real person, who actually feels this way?...Sometimes sitting on my computer, I feel like some people are just such "characters" that they are either not real, or are being deliberately "put on". Women can be indirect, yes. That is true. I'm sure if you were to talk to a lot...
  12. J

    How to get along with people who have different Metaphysical viewpoints

    I think you just need to have tact in analyzing to what extent you believe the person will be receptive to analyzing their own beliefs, logically. That is the key word-logically. Scientific types often (myself included) often cannot understand the belief formation of others because we believe...
  13. J

    Can Aliens Evolve as Robots on Earth?

    Here's my highly speculative reply: I believe that the reason why aliens or other non-terrestrial life forms would not be "robots": i.e. made of inorganic matter is because of the nature of life. What is one of the fundamental features of "life"? One of the most fundamental features of...
  14. J

    Did drinking in college affect your grades negatively?

    I think you said it all in your first post. Some drink too much and ruin things and neglect important responsibilities or rationalize their mediocrity while some can do it occassionally and be fine. As with most things, moderation is key and moderation is about achieving your own personal...
  15. J

    How does the size of a system affect its access to new states with added heat?

    I'm sorry, I don't understand why you're doing this. Some fellow nerds have already come up with it, it's called S=klnΩ. It is extremely simple and relates counting microstates to temperature and the entire concept of thermal equilibrium. That is pretty appealing. Why would you waste your...
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