# What is degree of order?

1. Aug 17, 2008

### eranb2

Hi

can i say that 100 lines in the same direction represents a higher degree of order then
10 lines in the same direction?

if not then what is the best example?

thanks.

2. Aug 17, 2008

### tiny-tim

Hi eranb2;1838295!
Is this a thermodynamics/entropy question?

Or is it just a general "order of magnitude" question?

If the latter, how about $100 is a higher order of expenditure than$10?

If the former, "100 lines in the same direction" isn't just a higher degree of order … it's totally ordered!!

can't you think up an example that's less extreme (and physical rather than geometrical)?

3. Aug 17, 2008

### Renge Ishyo

You definitely can say that 100 lines in a row represents an increase in order over 10 lines in a row. More energy needs to be invested to put the 100 lines in a row than it does to put just 10 in a row and that is one way to see this.

4. Aug 18, 2008

### Andy Resnick

It's not clear what you (the OP) means by "higher degree of order". The order parameter, from field theory, has a clear meaning- it is zero in a symmetric phase and non-zero otherwise. There's ways to assess the regularity of "sort of" periodic functions by looking at the Fourier transform- arrays of lines can be represented fairly simply, and given the same line-line spacing, 100 lines require a larger envelope than 10; in Fourier space, the first function will cover a smaller spectral range, with an interpretation that it more closely approximates a truely periodic function.

Another way to think of the situation is for a diffraction grating- a grating with 100 rulings will diffract more efficiently than a grating of 10 rulings; this can be a measure of order as well, I suppose.

Can you be a little more specific by what you mean?

5. Aug 19, 2008

### eranb2

Hi

I read david bohm's book about order and creativity and was thinking.

6. Aug 31, 2008