Important Definition and 493 Threads

  1. R

    Undergrad IMPORTANT - what is the geometric intepretation of the gradient vector?

    IMPORTANT! ---- what is the geometric intepretation of the gradient vector? Assume the situation in which I have a slope, a component of a function dependent on x and y, which is at an angle to the xy plane. The gradient vector would be perpendicular to the tangent plane at the point in which i...
  2. I

    Just started my fresh year, and taking calc based physics IMPORTANT QUESTION

    hi, i just started freshman year, and i am taking the standard intro physics class for physics majors', but i am only in calculus 1, and in the first day today, our prof already started with some basic kinematic questions that involved derivatives. (also second derivatives) I taught myself...
  3. I

    Undergrad Just started fresh year, and in calc based physics IMPORTANT QUESTION

    hi, i just started freshman year, and i am taking the standard intro physics classes for physics majors', but i am only in calculus 1, and in the first day today, our prof already started with some basic kinematic questions that involved derivatives. I taught myself derivatives over the...
  4. putongren

    The Most Important Part of Science

    What is the most important part of science? Math, Theories, Experiment, Etc...? I'll paraphrase what a friend's answer. "Process ... the rest of what you said changes -but the process above it all (which comes from how to think about things) is what determines the quality of reiteration and...
  5. C

    Schools How important is High School Physics and Chemistry

    I am wondering how important is Physics and Chemistry (one subject, Physical Science, here in South Africa) at High School in comparison with Mathematics, if you consider going into Physics and Math at University. I am asking this, because sometimes I don't do so well (not too bad, I just miss...
  6. marcus

    Graduate Our picks for second quarter 2010 MIP (most important QG paper)

    Of these fifteen candidates, please indicate the paper or papers which you think will contribute most significantly to future quantum gravity research. Multiple choice is possible in the poll, so please select several if you wish. Chamseddine Connes Noncommutative Geometry as a Framework for...
  7. B

    High School How important was Einstein, really?

    i've heard several teachers talk about ideas being ripe at certain times, and while we often attribute amazing progress to certain individuals, really, the scientific community at large was pretty close to the results. Newton/leibniz, for example. one teacher talked about how archimedes was...
  8. J

    Graduate Solving an Equation with the SSFM Method - John's Urgent Question

    hello all Im trying to solve the equation: i*dV/dt = d^2V/dz^2 + V*sqrt(1-V^2) I want to try by the split step Fourier method. My problem is that most of the code/solvers I saw that implement the SSFM method are when the evolution is in space not in time, meaning the first derivative is d/dz...
  9. Simfish

    Are pointers important for scientific research?

    A lot of scientific programs are CPU-intensive, so speed is important. Pointers have to do with memory management, which I presume is important since there are often so many array values that memory management becomes important. yet, I don't see it used very often. Are they used very often?
  10. X

    Put in order from most to least important (easy)

    rank these, 1- the most impact or importance and 6- the least impact on modern life. Anesthesia Penicillin/Antibiotics GM Foods Birth control pill Coronary by-pass surgery Human genome project what do u think? there is no correct answer...just curious to see what others say.
  11. W

    Schools How important is the Putnam to math grad schools?

    I'm hesitating whereas I should make some time to prepare for the Putnam. If I don't have to, I won't, because I'd rather do something else with the little free time I have to be frank. So, in short, is it worth preparing for, if my goal is purely to make my grad application look better? I'm not...
  12. marcus

    Graduate Our picks for first quarter 2010 MIP (most important QG paper)

    Of these fifteen candidates, please indicate the paper or papers which you think will contribute most significantly to future quantum gravity research. Multiple choice is possible in the poll, so please select several if you wish. Newest papers are listed first. In some cases, a pair of related...
  13. T

    Schools How important are the first 2 years of college?

    Here's my situation: I'm a math student in their second term of their junior year. I didn't do so good in my first 2 years of college, and even failed a couple of classes (I did manage some good grades here and there though). This was mostly due to a poor work ethic and perhaps some other things...
  14. F

    Is GPA Important for a Career in Theoretical Physics?

    I mean I know people who take Calculus in their High school and they repeat it again in college for "easy GPA", but is GPA that important? I mean I know it is necessary for GRad school, but should I do it? I am heading into Theoretical Physics and I am deciding whether I should do this or...
  15. Y

    Working environment. This is important.

    Could a working physicist or astronomer post old documents, calculations, scratch work, memos, projects, publications, or anything else pertaining to their past work? It doesn't need to be something that i can comprehend. Just something representative of the problems you face on the job. Any...
  16. S

    What is the single most important thing for life to exist in the universe?

    I know a lot of people say water or carbon and some people even say fusion or gravity. I think these are just the building blocks we happen to find in our universe but I think life could exist without any of those things as long as the laws of physics of any particular universe allow for...
  17. r-soy

    Correcting My Answer: Ensuring Accuracy and Improving Learning

    Hi I want check my answer and If there any mistake please correct it to me[/b]
  18. K

    How important is probability and mathematical statistics?

    I'm a sophomore in math.I intend to learn mathematical and physics something like differential geometry,topology and QFT in my next years and do some research in some relative topics.I know I need to learn many courses and I feel I don't have enough time.This semester we open a course called...
  19. Y

    Undergrad Is D'Alambert solution important for studying PDE?

    I want to know is it important to study D'Alembert solution? My main goal is to study Electromagnetics and wave equations, not the mechanical or heat equations. Seems like it is just one way of solving the PDE.
  20. F

    Programs How important is Biology for a Physics Major?

    How important? My university requries at least 1 year of Biology in a high school, but I didn't take it.
  21. L

    Important and Legal Responsibility of Working Safely

    Hello, Could someone please elaborate and possibly, be specific about the Importannce and Legal Responsibility of Working Safely in a lab are? Also, could you please explain to me the importance of working accurately and how accuracy can be ensured in the techniques used. My above...
  22. J

    Graduate Any important inequalities with convolutions?

    I am interested to know who to find upper bounds for derivatives of convolutions. If I know something of f and g, are there any major results about what kind of numbers C_{f,g} exist such that |D_x((f *g)(x))| \leq C_{f,g} ?
  23. kelvin490

    Important definition in crystallography

    Can anyone tell me what's the definition of close packed plane in lattice structure? How can I be sure the close packed plane in FCC structure is (111) ?
  24. H

    Graduate Einstein's Theory: All Frames Equally Important for Time

    Einstein said that all frames are equally important. Now, assume that I (or body A) was moving at a velocity of V. If body B was considered to be stationary and I was traveling away from it at a high speed then my time would slow down. This I understand. But... If body A was the inertial...
  25. marcus

    Graduate Our picks for fourth quarter 2009 MIP (most important QG paper)

    Of these twelve candidates, please indicate the paper or papers which you think will contibute most significantly to future research in 4D quantum gravity. Multiple choice is possible in the poll, so pick several if you wish. Barrett Fairbairn Hellmann http://arxiv.org/abs/0912.4907 Quantum...
  26. menniandscience

    Graduate Eight short questions, but very important to me

    please read all the question and when answering only some, mention which question you are answering 1. matter is a "frozen" energy (yes or no) 2. heat is energy, measured by the movement speed of molecules 3. electromagnetic waves as the go next to the to the atomes they pull and push the...
  27. qspeechc

    Graduate How Important Is Physics to a Mathematician?

    I was just wondering about this, because I've heard it quite often that physics is fertile ground for new ideas in mathematics, historically and currently. In the past we can think of Newton inventing calculus to solve physics problems, Fourier inventing Fourier analysis (now that sounds odd; I...
  28. W

    Undergrad Why symmetry is not important in classical physics?

    but ultra important in quantum physics? i can see it is important in quantum physics but i can not see why it is less important in classical physics.
  29. R

    Undergrad Why Should We Consider Compactness in Sets?

    Hi everyone, I am asking very basic question. But I think there is some important concept I am missing. why is compactness important or why should one look out for compact sets? I understand that they are bounded and closed and functions on them have good properties wrt to continuity...
  30. L

    Graduate Quantum computing (Why is it important?)

    Alright, I'm just getting my feet wet in the world of physics, but, I've taken a particular interest in quantum mechanics/physics. And, my first question is, what is the point of quantum computing? It's my understanding (Though it's probably seriously flawed) that quantum computations are used...
  31. I

    For which angle is the speed of a basketball more important to score?

    Homework Statement "A 3-point jump shot is release 2.2 m above the ground, 6.02 m from the basket, which is 3.05 m high. For launch angles of 30 degrees and 60 degrees find the speed needed to make the basket." For which angle is it more important that they player get the speed right? To...
  32. C

    Why are monolayers so important?

    I'm always hearing about monolayers... what make them so interesting? And while I'm asking dumb questions, why are 2 out of any 3 physical chemists working on protein folding modeling?
  33. R

    High School Why are spheres and triangles so important?

    I've notice that our eye balls are spheres, our Earth is a sphere and our sun is a sphere.. Now that makes me wonder. If our universe is a sphere, i already know scientist think so, but its still something to even think more into. Now this is the big part, triangles are important as well. Like a...
  34. L

    How important is fall of freshman year?

    Hey guys, I am a freshmen mech engineering student and so far I have been really disappointed in my college performance. I am on an academic scholarship that I need a 3.0+ to keep, which I thought would be no problem at all. However, I don't know what I am doing wrong. I just took a math test...
  35. S

    Important points in polar coordinates?

    I am going to have a test on polar coordinates next week. What are the most important things to remember?
  36. M

    Please help me get 2% by helping me solve this question (Very Important)

    This is an advance function question that our teacher gave us as a bonus question. Right now my percentage is around 79 and if i get this question right i can get at least 83 in my final mark. So it will be very very very appreciated if someone can help me solve this question ASAP, i only have 2...
  37. U

    High School How is voltage by itself important?

    Lets say I have circuit with resistance 4Ohms and the current 100mA. If I use Ohm's law, I get 0.4V. Why is it important to know the voltage if there is already a current? Also, when you know the energy available per unit charge (voltage) and current, I can calculate the power. In that case...
  38. marcus

    Graduate Our picks for third quarter 2009 MIP (most important QG paper)

    Of these nine candidates, please indicate the paper or papers which you think will contibute most significantly to future research in 4D quantum gravity. Multiple choice is possible in the poll, so pick several if you wish. http://arxiv.org/abs/0909.4221 Ashtekar, Campiglia, Henderson...
  39. Q

    Are wisdom teeth important to get out?

    I mean ones that arent causin irritation. What do you think?
  40. A

    High School Orientation of coil in electric generator: Important?

    Hi, I'm working with my granddad on a project to build a (simple!) electricity generating windmill. We're not trying to make the most efficient design possible, just a reasonably efficient design given the simple tools and materials we're using. It's mostly just a project for fun! :) So, we...
  41. M

    Graduate Is magnetism important in particle interaction?

    If you fire energetic ionising particles, like electrons or protons, at a stationary target, the important interactions are ionisation, nuclear reactions and scattering. But if the incoming particles are traveling at high speed, will they not generate a high magnetic field? Why is such a...
  42. G

    Programs How important is to do Optics in a Bachelor's degree physics course?

    The title of this thread speaks for itself, but to contextualize it, I should say that I am currently in the third (final ) year of my physics course and I have to choose some classes. Accordingly to the choices I have decided so far I would not do an Optics class in my course. Is that...
  43. T

    Single most important object in mathematics?

    For me it would have to be the set of complex numbers. What's yours?
  44. marcus

    Graduate Important AsymSafe QG development

    Everybody should listen to the the last 10-12 minutes of Steven Weinberg's 7 July Cern talk, drag the button so it starts at minute 58 and go to minute 70, where he stops and takes questions. http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/1188567/ He describes his own work in progress in AsymSafe Cosmology...
  45. W

    Studying How important are textbooks in learning?

    I am going to be joining an Electrical Engineering course this month. I just checked out the syllabus and all the courses had some recommended textbooks along with some reference books. Now this got me wondering. I had some bad experiences with textbooks in high school, the textbooks in my...
  46. R

    Engineering Software Engineer Typing: Importance & Benefits

    How important that a software engineer should type his programme without looking @ the keyboard? Im a newbie to programming world and now doing a B.Sc in Computer science and Engineering .And also I am currently self studying for SCJP examination . The only thing i want to know is how...
  47. marcus

    Graduate Our picks for second quarter 2009 MIP (most important QG paper)

    Here are some background independent QG papers which appeared in the 2nd quarter (April-June) of this year, for us to evaluate and try predicting how they will do. The poll is set up to accept multiple choices. Please check off the paper or papers you predict will have the most significant...
  48. G

    Food Inc. most important film I have seen in a while

    Definitely a must see. This movie was shocking. Some of the things food companies are getting away with and how they are able to write our laws is incredible. If you care about your health and what you eat, definitely see this film.
  49. Link

    Schools How important are grades in grad school?

    I am interested to know whether it is important for engineers to get good grades when pursuing a MEng in Engineering, ie a terminal degree with no further phD studies. Are academic grades as important as in college (when they played a significant part of grad school entry) for employers or will...
  50. W

    Dymanics, F=ma, F function of position & velocity (it's really important)

    Homework Statement The proposed design for an energy- absorbing bumper for a car exerts a decelerating force of magnitude bs + cv on the car when it collides with a rigid obstacle, where s is the distance the car travels from the point where it contacts the obstacle and v is the car's velocity...