Arithmetic vs. geometric uncertainties

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The discussion centers on the distinction between arithmetic and geometric uncertainties in measurements. Participants express confusion about the nature of these uncertainties, questioning whether classical measurements can exhibit geometric uncertainties. It is emphasized that the error in a measurement is influenced by the measuring instrument rather than the measurement itself. The conversation also touches on the implications of these uncertainties in the context of quantum mechanics. Overall, the thread explores the complexities of measurement errors and their classifications.
Loren Booda
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Rather than arithmetic ("plus or minus") uncertainties, are there classical (not of Heisenberg uncertainty principle) measurements whose uncertainties otherwise appear as geometric ("times or divided by")?
 
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I'm not sure what you mean by this. The error in a measurement depends upon the measuring instrument, not the "measurement" itself.
 
HallsofIvy said:
I'm not sure what you mean by this. The error in a measurement depends upon the measuring instrument, not the "measurement" itself.

E.g., is that necessarily true for quantum mechanics?
 

Thread 'Area of Overlapping Squares'

Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?
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