Recent content by Troponin

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    Independent components of the curvature tenso

    That's the first thing I thought when he specified GR. There was a discussion here a few months ago on vanishing Ricci tensors and what it says about "flat" spacetime in n-dimensions in comparison to a vanishing/non-vanishing Curvature tensor that (I think) led to some discussion on...
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    Use of I vs we in abstract

    Data is plural, so it is "Data were consistent with," etc. I've always felt that data "fit" better in the singular however. I think it can be technically considered correct either way if the "many data" is considered to be the singular object that contains all of the data. I'm not an...
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    Einstein's Field equations & quaternions / octonions

    I've always wondered why quaternions aren't/haven't been taught very much. Perhaps there has been more investigation into their use than I'm aware of, but it seems like the choice of Gibbs' vector calc (IIRC developed from his study of quaternions) was the rather arbitrary result of Gibbs'...
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    Showing that an equation satisfied the helmholtz equation

    Because there is no \theta or \phi dependence. Just wanted to clarify because I've seen students make the conclusion that the laplacian is always (\frac{\partial^2}{\partial r^2},0,0) after doing their first "make use of the spherical symmetry" lapacian in spherical...
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    Study/reading tips for a late starter

    http://www.phys.uu.nl/~thooft/theorist.html
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    Post your Winter and Spring 2011 schedules here

    Atomic and Molecular Physics Intro to Topology Abstract Algebra Quantum
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    Programs Concerned with all the pessimism surrounding PhDs lately

    I know a number of people with PhD's who say they only have a BS on their resume so that they can get a better paying job. Some have even asked their grad schools if there is any way to get a PhD rescinded so that they won't have to worry about their employer ever finding out about said PhD.
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    Question: grad classes as undergrad, how to mention in grad applications?

    I'm in the process of getting my application to grad school completed and have a number of "5000" level classes that I'm not exactly sure how to classify on my my applications. Is it appropriate/acceptable to list ALL of them as "graduate" classes that I've taken as an undergraduate...even...
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    Should I Take Topology in the Spring?

    Well, this thread has me feeling even more anxious about next semester than I already was... I'm a physics major who is taking topology next semester...who also hasn't had analysis or abstract algebra. I'm hoping my interest and prior self-study in differential geometry (for general...
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    Jerk physics professor response

    The problem with that is that many professors don't like reading "novels." In my experience, you have to be as terse as possible when emailing a professor with a question. If you write too much (even when you feel it is necessary information), you often get one of two "responses." 1) A...
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    This guy has written over 5,000 pages of scholarly material-all for others. Wow.

    He says he has a "staff of roughly 50 writers." I'm assuming he is using "I" as his "business?"
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    Do Photons Have a Gravitational Effect?

    This thread is in the relativity section, and according to GR, "light" does produce gravity. If you looked at a completely "empty" Universe that was void of any form of energy, matter, radiation, etc., in a 4 dimensional spacetime where \mathbf{R(X,Y)Z}=R^{a}_{\ bcd}X^{c}Y^{d}Z^{b}=0=R_{bd}...
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    Gravitational lensing paradoxon

    Agreed, unless I'm missing something?
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    Programs How much can someone with a phd in physics make?

    Brian May is worth about $80 million, but his PhD is in Astrophysics. I don't know if you're considering the various sub-fields or not.
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    My dream not realized, and I am falling down a deep cliff.

    I wish I had something more comforting to say, but the truth of the matter is that you're pretty much d.o.n.e as far as academia is concerned. My early years showed promise for intellectual success until I ruined it all at age 16. I ended up really pushing my limits my junior year of H.S. and...
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