Tagged Questions

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2answers
160 views

Generalized Complex Geometry and Theoretical Physics

I have been wondering about some of the different uses of Generalized Complex Geometry (GCG) in Physics. Without going into mathematical detail (see Gualtieri's thesis for reference), a Generalized ...
2answers
486 views

The Reeh-Schlieder theorem and quantum geometry

There have been some very nice discussions recently centered around the question of whether gravity and the geometry and topology of the classical world we see about us, could be phenomena which ...
6answers
1k views

Experimental evidence of a fourth spatial dimension?

As human beings, we observe the world in which we live in three dimensions. However, it is certainly theoretically possible that more dimensions exist. Is there any direct or indirect evidence ...
3answers
290 views

Question about associative 3-cycles on G2 manifolds

Let $X$ be a manifold with $G_2$ holonomy and $\Phi$ be the fundamental associative 3-form on $X$. Let $*\Phi$ be the dual co-associative 4-form on $X$. Now consider a particular associative 3-cycle ...
4answers
533 views

Why is there a search for an exchange particle for gravity?

Here's a question on something I've been wondering about for quite some time. (I am not a physicist.) If I understand correctly, according to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, mass results in ...
4answers
8k views

Does the rotation of the earth dramatically affect airplane flight time?

Say I'm flying from Sydney, to Los Angeles (S2LA), back to Sydney (LA2S). During S2LA, travelling with the rotation of the earth, would the flight time be longer than LA2S on account of Los Angeles ...
2answers
376 views

Why are conformal transformations so prevalent in physics?

What is it about conformal transformations that make them so widely applicable in physics? These preserve angles, in other words directions (locally), and I can understand that might be useful. Also, ...
1answer
277 views

Why are fractal geometries useful for compact antenna design?

While most of what I've read about fractals has been dubious in nature, over the years, I keep hearing that these sorts of self-similar (or approximately self-similar) geometries are useful in the ...
1answer
401 views

Is C60 really the “most spherical” fullerene?

In the late 80's and early 90's, Smalley and others made claims that the C60 fullerene bearing icosahedral symmetry was the most spherical molecule known, and perhaps the most spherical that could ...
1answer
302 views

The role of metric in the Wave Equation

The wave equation is often written in the form $$(\partial^2_t-\Delta)u=0,$$ involving the Laplace-Beltrami operator $\Delta$. However, the Laplace-Beltrami operator $\Delta$ is defined only in the ...
1answer
148 views

An astronaut and a vengeful pole

Imagine an astronaut floating in free-space with no significant nearby gravitational influences. The astronaut takes an arbitrarily thin pole of uniform density with length $l$ and mass $m$, orients ...
2answers
207 views

Space-time geometry and metric

I am confused in one question in general relativity, why we can always express a space-time geometry only by metric. It means a metric, which is just about distance in tangent space, can tell us all ...
2answers
212 views

Can the electroweak/strong forces, and/or quantum mechanics be thought of as geometric?

Can the electroweak and strong forces be written as geometric theories? - Why and why not? Can quantum mechanics in general? For example, the Kaluza-Klein theory explains the electromagnetic field ...
2answers
149 views

Is a semi-Euclidean space possible?

Does exists a geometry (3d for example) which is Euclidean in 2 dimensions (x and y coordinates) and non-Euclidean when the third dimension (z) is taken into account? In other words a space where it ...
2answers
344 views

Prerequisites to start the study of noncommutative geometry in physics

What are prerequisites (in mathematics and physics), that one should know about for getting into use of ideas from noncommutative geometry in physics?
1answer
227 views

Relativistic space-time geometry

What subject (suggest book titles, etc.) should I study to get a clear grasping of hypersurfaces, 2-surfaces, and integration on them, mostly in special relativity (I'm not messing with general ...
1answer
97 views

Is there an upper bound on the gauge group rank in F-theory compactifications on CY 4-folds?

It is known that in F-theory compactifications on CY 4-folds one can get gauge groups with very large ranks. The largest single factor* gauge group for compact CY 4-folds I found in the literature is ...
1answer
128 views

How is the equation of motion on an ellipse derived?

I would like to show that a particle orbiting another will follow the trajectory \begin{equation} r = \frac{a(1-e^2)}{1 + e \cos(\theta)}. \end{equation} I would like to do this with minimal ...
1answer
95 views

Flat space metrics

This question concerns the metric of a flat space: $$ds^2=dr^2+cr^2\,\,d\theta^2$$ where $c$ is a constant. Why is it necessary to set $c=1$ to avoid singularities and to restrict $r\ge 0$? Thanks.
11answers
749 views

Is it possible for a physical object to have a irrational length?

Suppose I have a caliper that is infinitely precise. Also suppose that this caliper returns not a number, but rather whether the precise length is rational or irrational. If I were to use this ...
2answers
369 views

Where do I start with Non-Euclidean Geometry?

I've been trying to grok General Relativity for a while now, and I've been having some trouble. Many physics textbooks gloss over the subject with an "it's too advanced for this medium", and many ...
1answer
107 views

Nanotube chiral angle as a function of $n$ and $m$

I'm looking into nanotubes and I thought I'd assure myself that the basic geometry equations are indeed correct. No problems for the radius, I quickly found the known formula: R = ...
1answer
158 views

Is Dyson Sphere a stable construction?

Suppose that a star is encompassed by a Dyson Sphere. Do we need a position control system for the Dyson Sphere to keep its origin always aligned with the center of the star? Will it stay aligned ...
4answers
316 views

Gravitation is not force?

Einstein said that gravity can be looked at as curvature in space- time and not as a force that is acting between bodies. (Actually what Einstein said was that gravity was curvature in space-time and ...
1answer
164 views

What's a pseudo-rotation?

I'm sorry for this lexical, probably extremely elementary, question. But what is a pseudo-rotation? I just read this term for the first time, in the beginning of the 4th chapter book of CFT by Di ...
1answer
49 views

Uniqueness and existence of polygonal orbits through a spherical shell

Say we have a spherical wire mesh raised to a negative voltage. Then let's say we release a proton from near the surface, and away from the surface, at some angle and speed. Also, imagine that the ...
1answer
107 views

How would one calculate the amount of water contained in a cloud?

So I was looking out the sky one day and I wondered how I would go about calculating how much water was contained in a cloud. I figured the following simple outline 1) We need to roughly know how big ...
4answers
210 views

Formulation of general relativity

EDIT: I think I can pinpoint my confusion a bit better. Here comes my updated question (I'm not sure what the standard way of doing things is - please let me know if I should delete the old version). ...
1answer
82 views

How does holographic voxel density scale with holographic film metrics?

I'm trying to understand how one can generate bounds on the effective number of voxels (volumetric pixels) in a hologram, or information density, provided various metrics for the two-dimensional ...
2answers
459 views

Why was the truncated icosahedron (i.e. soccer ball) geometry chosen for the implosive lenses in the “Fat Man” atomic bomb?

Quoting from Wolfram Mathworld: " It is the shape used in the construction of soccer balls, and it was also the configuration of the lenses used for focusing the explosive shock waves of the ...
2answers
185 views

Shape of electric charges on sphere in equilibrium state

When electric charges of equal magnitude and sign are released on a regular sphere (and assume that they stick to the surface of the sphere, but they are free to move along its surface), what is the ...
1answer
180 views

Why is physical space equivalent to $\mathbb{R}^3$?

Why is physical space equivalent to $\mathbb{R}^3$, as opposed to e.g. $\mathbb{Q}^3$? I am trying to understand what would be the logical reasons behind our assumption that our physical space is ...
2answers
219 views

The shape of the earth$\ldots$

....is an oblate spheroid because centrifugal force stretches the tropical regions to a point farther from the center than they would be if the planet did not rotate. So we all learned in childhood, ...
1answer
1k views

How to calculate the projected area at different angles/vectors?

Please help me with the following. I want to know if there is an equation/set of equations to find out the projected area of a (3-D) cube when it is oriented at different angles of attack to the fluid ...
1answer
218 views

Tiling hexagons on a sphere surface

In attemopt to understand basic principles of non-Euclidean geometry and its relation to physical space, I am reading General Relativity by Ben Crowell. On page 149 there is a discussion of hexagons ...
1answer
1k views

Determining the center of mass of a cone

I'm having some trouble with a simple classical mechanics problem, where I need to calculate the center of mass of a cone whose base radius is $a$ and height $h$..! I know the required equation. But, ...
1answer
111 views

No attraction radially in an cylinder of spherical magnets

I have a set of small magnetic spheres the size of ball bearings. When many of them are built into a cylinder such that they are hexagonally packed, there is no magnetic attraction radially (between ...
1answer
164 views

Is it possible to mechanically isomerize an sp3 hybridized carbon center?

Imagine I have an sp3 hybridized carbon attached to four separate polyethylene chains. By pulling on the polyethylene chains in some manner, is it possible for me to mechanically isomerize the chiral ...
1answer
85 views

Can we project a 4D world using 3D video technology?

Traditional movies, TV, etc, faithfully show our 3-dimensional world using 2 dimensions. So can we have a movie that shows a 4-dimensional world using 3D technology?
5answers
127 views

Why is the world sheet of an open string a cylinder?

I went to a lecture a few weeks ago and was told the following: The world sheet of a closed string is a normal, standing cylinder. The world sheet of an open string is a cylinder on its side. This ...
1answer
80 views

How far does typical view of clouds/atmosphere extend?

The specific "sub questions" I'm asking are: When you are looking at clouds just on the horizon, how far away would they be? How wide (in km) is that total field of vision at roughly cloud height. ...
2answers
107 views

Stroboscope-and-telegraph problem

Narrative: Consider, in a suitably flat region, two straight lines which don't necessarily intersect. Let vector $\mathbf{x}$ point along one line, and vector $\mathbf{y}$ point along the other. Let ...
2answers
63 views

Proof that a spherical lens is stigmatic

In geometric optics, we generally allow that, for example in the case of a convex lens, rays coming from a particular point get refracted towards another particular point on the opposite side of the ...
0answers
49 views

Dirichlet's work on gravity in non-Euclidean space?

In the book The Norton History of Astronomy and Cosmology by the late John North I have found the following statement (page 514): "The German mathematician Lejeune Dirichlet studied the law of ...
0answers
91 views

Getting the AdS metric from maximally symmetric spaces

I am familiar with the way we derive the form of the FRW metric by just using the fact that we have a maximally symmetric space i.e the universe is homogeneous and isotropic in spatial coordinates. ...
1answer
121 views

Are there any clear and expressive plainword sense of metric tensor components?

Can the following groups of components of metric tensor can assigned a clear sense? https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id=1kVqkN1gT-a2fDy2S851l9iQKaMfaatCDo517OSZBHEo&w=467&h=228 I have ...
2answers
196 views

Is it necessary to embed a 4D surface in 5D space?

Lets consider the line element: $$ds^2=dr^2+r^2[d\theta^2+\sin^2\theta d\phi^2]$$ There are three variables r,theta and phi. If we use a surface constraint like r=constant the number of independent ...
1answer
55 views

Rømer's determination of the speed of light

I am trying to understand Rømer's determination of the speed of light ($c$). The geometry of the situation is shown in the image below. The determination involves measuring apparent fluctuations in ...
2answers
319 views

Does a cycle (in Simple Harmonic Motion) have to equal 2π?

So, I search for the definition of cycle and I get this in Wikipedia: A turn is a unit of angle measurement equal to 360° or 2π radians (or ...). A turn is also referred to as a revolution or ...
2answers
418 views

How to deduce this free body diagram?

Can someone provide a trigonometry/geometry insight to deduce the angle of the plane is the same as the angle of the component of the weight?
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