# Can somebody identify this equation for me?

1. Jan 29, 2004

### deltabourne

http://www.gemmdesigns.com/physics.gif [Broken]
I can't quite place it

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017
2. Jan 29, 2004

### chroot

Staff Emeritus

- Warren

3. Jan 29, 2004

### deltabourne

sorry, does it work now?

4. Jan 29, 2004

### chroot

Staff Emeritus
Yeah. I don't know what it is, but it looks like something in relativistic quantum mechanics.

- Warren

5. Jan 29, 2004

### franznietzsche

It looks like an altered form of the complex fourier series. BAsed on that i think it deals with energy distribution across frequencies, but beyond that i am not sure. The first line uses dummy indices in a form similar to the notation uses in tensor calculus, so i think chroot may be right.

6. Jan 29, 2004

Staff Emeritus
It's the general solution of the wave equation for a (classical) string with tension $$\alpha'$$ and length L. Compare Polchinski's String Theory, equation 1.3.22.

7. Jan 29, 2004

### franznietzsche

well, we were way off.

8. Jan 29, 2004

### deltabourne

thanks everyone!