# Tagged Questions

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8answers
1k views

### Is there a symbol for “unitless”?

I'm making a table where columns are labelled with the property and the units it's measured in: Length (m) |||| Force (N) |||| Safety Factor (unitless) ||| etc... I'd like not to write "unitless" ...
1answer
1k views

### Differentiating Propagator, Greens function, Correlation function, etc

For the following quantities respectively, could someone write down the common definitions, their meaning, the field of study in which one would typically find these under their actual name, and most ...
4answers
2k views

### What does Peter Parkers formula represent?

Okay, so the trailer for the new Spider Man movie is out and appearently our friendly physicist from the neightborhood came up with something. However I can't find out what this is. ...
2answers
298 views

### What the circled integral?

What the circled integral $$\oint$$ means? I saw this symbol in a lot of books about advanced physics. How is his definition? What kind of integral it is? It is used only in physics or also in ...
3answers
62 views

### which letter to use for a CFT?

In math, one says "let $G$ be a group", "let $A$ be an algebra", ... For groups, the typical letters are $G$, $H$, $K$, ... For algebras, the typical letters are $A$, $B$, ... I want to say ...
4answers
265 views

### Are covariant vectors representable as row vectors and contravariant as column vectors

I would like to know what are the range of validity of the following statement: Covariant vectors are representable as row vectors. Contravariant vectors are representable as column vectors. ...
2answers
176 views

### Standard notation reference

I'm searching for a compresensive and somewhat complete list of suggested standard notation (the symbols one ought to use in (theoretical) physics and also mathematics). Is there such a collection, ...
1answer
273 views

### Why is $L^2$ norm of the gradient called kinetic energy?

I'm reading Lieb-Loss's book 'Analysis', chapter 7. The authors refer to the following integral: $$\tag{1} \lVert \nabla f\rVert_2^2=\int_{\Omega}\lvert \nabla f(x)\rvert^2\, d^nx$$ as the kinetic ...
1answer
162 views

### Clarifications about Poisson brackets and Levi-Civita symbol

I need some clarifications about Poisson brackets. I know canonical brackets and the properties of Poisson Brackets and I also know something about Levi-Civita symbol (definition and basic ...
1answer
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### $\pm$ (light-cone?) notation in supersymmetry

I would like to know what is exactly meant when one writes $\theta^{\pm}, \bar{\theta}^\pm, Q_{\pm},\bar{Q}_{\pm},D_{\pm},\bar{D}_{\pm}$. {..I typically encounter this notation in literature on ...
0answers
92 views

### Is it correct to sum over either index of the metric the same way?

I don't know if the following is correct, i want to compute the following derivative \frac{\partial }{\partial (\partial_{\mu}A_{\nu})}\left(\partial^{\alpha}A^{\beta}\partial_{\alpha}A_{\beta} ...
4answers
114 views

### Is there a recognised standard for typesetting quantum mechanical operators?

Firstly, I wasn't sure exactly where to put this. It's a typesetting query but the scope is greater than $\TeX$; however it's specific also to physics and even more specific to this site. I've ...
2answers
106 views

### Difference between slanted indices on a tensor

In my class, there is no distinction made between, $$C_{ab}{}^{b}$$ and $$C^{b}{}_{ab}.$$ All I know, and read about so far, is the distinction of covariant and contravariant, form/vector, etc. ...
2answers
372 views

### Bra-ket notation and linear operators

Let $H$ be a hilbert space and let $\hat{A}$ be a linear operator on $H$. My textbook states that $|\hat{A} \psi\rangle = \hat{A} |\psi\rangle$. My understanding of bra-kets is that $|\psi\rangle$ is ...
2answers
192 views

### What are $\partial_t$ and $\partial^\mu$?

I'm reading the Wikipedia page for the Dirac equation: $\rho=\phi^*\phi\,$ ...... $J = -\frac{i\hbar}{2m}(\phi^*\nabla\phi - \phi\nabla\phi^*)$ with the conservation of probability ...
3answers
234 views

### How to distinguish 4D and 3D vectors in handwriting?

Usually vectors are denoted with bold font in printbooks and with arrows above in handwriting. In Thorn's e al. Gravitation, 4D vectors are denoted with bold and 3D vectors with bold italic. How to ...
1answer
173 views

### Difference between $\partial$ and $\nabla$ in general relativity

I read a lot in Road to Reality, so I think I might use some general relativity terms where I should only special ones. In our lectures we just had $\partial_\mu$ which would have the plain partial ...
1answer
97 views

### What does the notation $c = [1:\beta]$ mean?

I have been reading a online-book/blog/material on Quantum Mechanics, when I encountered a notation on a page and I have no idea what it means. See if you can help. Here's the link and follows the ...
2answers
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### Double Pendulum

The equations of motions for the double pendulum is given by $$\dot{\theta_1} = \frac{6}{ml^2}\frac{2p_{\theta1} - 3\cos(\theta_1 - \theta_2)p_{\theta2}}{16 - 9\cos^2(\theta_1 - \theta_2)}$$ and ...
1answer
180 views

### Meaning of $d\Omega$ in basic scattering theory?

In basic scattering theory, $d\Omega$ is supposed to be an element of solid angle in the direction $\Omega$. Therefore, I assume that $\Omega$ is an angle, but what is this angle measured with respect ...
1answer
49 views

### Scalar top quark (stop) pair production

A rather simple question: Starting from an electrically neutral state, pairs of top quarks are produced as top and anti-top, and denoted as $t\bar t$. Now the production of pairs of scalar top ...
2answers
142 views

### Inner Product Spaces

I am trying to reconcile the definition of Inner Product Spaces that I encountered in Mathematics with the one I recently came across in Physics. In particular, if $(,)$ denotes an inner product in ...
1answer
57 views

### Uncertainty writing

This will sound like a silly question, but I don't recall that my professors ever though me what this means. For example: X=1.2345(6) units This is uncertainty, that much I do know, but does it ...
2answers
251 views

### Meaning of subscript in $V=\frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{d^2 V}{{dq_i}{dq_j}}\right)_0$

This is probably a simple question, but what does the subscript $0$ mean in the following expression? $$V=\frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{d^2 V}{{dq_i}{dq_j}}\right)_0$$
2answers
305 views

### Correct application of Laplacian Operator

Not a physicist, and I'm having trouble understanding how to apply the Laplacian-like operator described in this paper and the original. We let:  \hat{f}(x) = f(x) + \frac{\int H(x,y)\psi(y) ...
2answers
59 views

### Another question about Shankar's notation

I have another question on the notation in Shankar. I think it's sloppy, but I also may just be misunderstanding it. Again, this is at the very beginning of the math intro. He has: a\left| V ...
2answers
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### In Dirac notation, what do the subscripts represent? (Solution for particle in a box in mind)

So the set of solutions for the particle in a box is given by $$\psi_n(x) = \sqrt{\frac{2}{L}}\sin(\frac{n\pi x}{L}).$$ In Dirac notation $<\psi_i|\psi_j>=\delta_{ij}$ assuming $|\psi_i>$ ...
2answers
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### SI units with more than one prefix in fractions

Is it (in the view of SI) correct to note units with more then one prefix? I discuss this since several months with friends, but we could not find a proper source for our statements yet. Examples for ...
1answer
156 views

### Symbol for dashpot/damper (in a harmonic oscillator)

In diagrams that contain the dashpot symbol, sometimes the mass is attached to the "interior" end of the dashpot, other times the mass is attached to the "base" end. For example, consider the ...
1answer
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### Why distinguish between row and column vectors?

Mathematically, a vector is an element of a vector space. Sometimes, it's just an n-tuple $(a,b,c)$. In physics, one often demands that the tuple has certain transformation properties to be called a ...
6answers
406 views

### Is H=H* sloppy notation or really just incorrect, for Hermitian operators?

I saw it in this pdf, where they state that $P=P^\dagger$ and thus $P$ is hermitian. I find this notation confusing, because an operator A is Hermitian if \$\langle \Psi | A \Psi \rangle=\langle A ...
2answers
242 views

### Question with Einstein notation

Let’s consider this equation for a scalar quantity $f$ as a function of a 3D vector $a$ as: $$f(\vec a) = S_{ijkk} a_i a_j$$ where $S$ is a tensor of rank 4. Now, I’m not sure what to make of the ...
4answers
168 views

### Is there a default notation for 4-vectors while handwriting?

In printed paper 3-vectors can be denoted bold italic while 4-vectors can be denote just bold. While handwriting 3-vectors are denoted by arrows above letters. Is there a similar way to denote ...
1answer
148 views

### Rocket drive and conservation of momentum

I am currently reading through some lecture notes of Physics 1 and in a chapter about the dynamics of the mass point, there is an example covering the rocket drive. Let $v$ be the velocity of the ...
2answers
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### Question on notation in Shankar's Quantum Mechanics - math intro on vector spaces

I'm just beginning Shankar's 2nd edition Quantum Mechanics and having some trouble with notation. He defines his vectors as "$\left|V\right>$" . And with a scalar multiplier as "$a\left|V\right>$" . ...
2answers
160 views

### Why no basis vector in Newtonian gravitational vector field?

In my textbook, the gravitational field is given by$$\mathbf{g}\left(\mathbf{r}\right)=-G\frac{M}{\left|\mathbf{r}\right|^{2}}e_{r}$$ which is a vector field. On the same page, it is also given as a ...
1answer
691 views

### What does $\Psi^*$ mean in Schrodinger's Equation?

I am not a physics student. In one of my courses, some fundamental concepts of Quantum mech were needed, so i was gng through them when i stumbled upon this It says \text{probability} = ...
2answers
223 views

### Notation of plane waves

Consider a monochromatic plane wave (I am using bold to represent vectors) $$\mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r},t) = \mathbf{E}_0(\mathbf{r})e^{i(\mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{r} - \omega t)},$$  ...
1answer
59 views

### What is $k_B$ in the context of this question?

Answering the following question 1000 atoms are in equilibrium at temperature T. Each atom has two energy states, $E_1$ and $E_2$, where $E_2 > E_1$ . On average, there are 200 atoms in the ...
1answer
276 views

### state vector notation

I've never taken a quantum mechanics class, but I find myself now using principles developed in the quantum theory of angular momentum. One particularly confusing aspect that I'm struggling with is ...
1answer
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### Vector $\vec{z}$ and its conjugate transpose $\overline{\vec{v}^\top}$ - is it the same as $\left|z\right\rangle$ and $\left\langle z \right|$

Lets say we have a complex vector $\vec{z} \!=\!(1\!+\!2i~~2\!+\!3i~~3\!+\!4i)^T$. Its scalar product $\vec{z}^T\!\! \cdot \vec{z}$ with itself will be a complex number, but if we conjugate the ...
1answer
260 views

### Wave function and Dirac bra-ket notation

Would anyone be able to explain the difference, technically, between wave function notation for quantum systems e.g. $\psi=\psi(x)$ and Dirac bra-ket vector notation? How do you get from one to the ...
1answer
432 views

### What does y with a line over it represent?

I've been asked to complete this chart and have never come across this symbol before, nor can I find anything about it on google: http://postimage.org/image/oe7hb9cy3/ What does the y with the line ...
2answers
124 views

### Notation for differential operators and wave function math

I know that $[\frac {d^2}{dx^2}]\psi$ is $\frac {d^2\psi}{dx^2}$ but what about this one $[\frac {d^2\psi}{dx^2}]\psi^*$? Is it this like $\frac {d^2\psi\psi^*}{dx^2}$ or this like \$\frac ...
0answers
44 views

### Reaction coordinate as a function of atomic positions

I'm going over some (molecular dynamics) related literature - specifically the derivation of the Weighted Histogram Analysis Method (WHAM). As a quick backdrop WHAM is a method for stitching ...
2answers
138 views

### Is the letter delta generally only used to express change in variable or quantity?

I was speaking with a friend of mine earlier and he said "Oh look, delta, the sign of uncertainty" (he doesn't study physics often so had only seen in in Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle equations). ...
2answers
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### Subshell notation for hydrogen cation?

Looking at $s$,$p$,$d$ configuration for atoms & ions: Since a hydrogen cation $H^+$ has no electron, how would the subshell notation be written? My best estimate would be $1s^0$.
3answers
162 views

### Why is 'the period' marked as letter T?

I'm not a native English speaker and I was wondering, why 'the period' got the letter $T$. I've asked myself the question when I was thinking about stuff related to the frequency. I.e.: $f$ - ...
2answers
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### How is an arbitrary operator usually denoted in quantum mechanics?

Which symbols are usually used to denote an arbitrary operator in quantum mechanics, such as O in the following example? $O \mbox{ is Hermitian} \Leftrightarrow \Im{\left< O \right>} = 0$
2answers
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### When do I apply Significant figures in physics calculations?

I'm a little confused as to when to use significant figures for my physics class. For example, I'm asked to find the average speed of a race car that travels around a circular track with a radius of ...
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