Related papers: Six textbook mistakes in computational physics
Paradoxes are a relatively frequent occurrence in physics. The nature of their genesis is diverse and they are found in all branches of physics. There are a number of general and special classifications of paradoxes, but there are no…
Mathematics is an essential element of physics problem solving, but experts often fail to appreciate exactly how they use it. Math may be the language of science, but math-in-physics is a distinct dialect of that language. Physicists tend…
I point out and diagnose an error in a figure in a textbook on classical physics. The error helps to illustrate a pitfall encountered when dealing with the shapes of objects, and perhaps also reflects general cultural attitudes in physics.…
This is the chapter \emph{Topological Codes} of the book \emph{Quantum Error Correction}, edited by Daniel A. Lidar and Todd A. Brun, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2013.…
A strategy is suggested for teaching mathematically literate students, with no background in physics, just enough quantum mechanics for them to understand and develop algorithms in quantum computation and quantum information theory.…
We give a quick survey of the various fixed point theorems in computability theory, partial combinatory algebra, and the theory of numberings, as well as generalizations based on those. We also point out several open problems connected to…
We present a critical analysis of the classical approaches to energy subjects, based on the work-energy theorem and the conservation of mechanical energy proposed in the courses of the first years of tertiary education. We show how these…
Physics as a discipline embeds conceptual meaning about the physical world in mathematical formalism. The meaning associated with mathematical symbols depends on context, and physicists can shift conceptual meaning by manipulating those…
Even if students can make the blend, interpret physics correctly in mathematical symbology and graphs, they still need to be able to apply that knowledge in productive and coherent ways. As instructors, we can show our solutions to complex…
For several decades there has been no breakthrough in fundamental physics as revolutionary as relativity and quantum physics despite the amazing advancement of applied physics and technology. By discussing several examples of what physics…
The familiar theories of physics have the feature that the application of the theory to make predictions in specific circumstances can be done by means of an algorithm. We propose a more precise formulation of this feature --- one based on…
Learning to use math in physics involves combining (blending) our everyday experiences and the conceptual ideas of physics with symbolic mathematical representations. Graphs are one of the best ways to learn to build the blend. They are a…
University students taking introductory physics are generally successful executing mathematical procedures in context, but often struggle with the use of mathematical concepts for sense making. Physics instructors note that their students…
The key difference between math as math and math in science is that in science we blend our physical knowledge with our knowledge of math. This blending changes the way we put meaning to math and even to the way we interpret mathematical…
I have noted a number of errors, most of them quite minor, in the {\em Encyclopedia of Cosmology} (New York and London: Garland), 1993, Norriss S. Hetherington, ed. The majority occur in my mathematically verbose article, ``Fundamental…
This article addresses the question of when physical laws and their consequences can be computed. If a physical system is capable of universal computation, then its energy gap can't be computed. At an even more fundamental level, the most…
An important step in learning to use math in science is learning to see physics equations as not just calculational tools, but as ways of expressing fundamental relationships among physical quantities, of coding conceptual information, and…
Most introductory physics textbooks ask students to ignore air resistance but include no analysis of the appropriateness of that approximation. Indeed the approximation is inappropriate in many textbook problems. This short supplementary…
Much of the research done by modern physicists would be impossible without the use of computation. And yet, while computation is a crucial tool of practicing physicists, physics curricula do not generally reflect its importance and utility.…
We analyze a simple textbook approach to nonlinear oscillators proposed recently, disclose its errors, limitations and misconceptions and complete the calculations that the authors failed to perform.