u/TheRedditObserver0

What do you think of this paper? Is classical physics actually non-deterministic?

When contrasting quantum mechanics with classical physics, it is often said that the latter is deterministic. However, in [this paper](https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/papers/003004.pdf) an example of a classical physical system is shown where that is not the case.

Consider a frictionless dome of height h=(2/3)r^(3/2) and let a ball be at rest on top of the dome. In this case, the equations of motion allow for multiple solutions: the ball could stay perfectly still, but it could also start rolling down at any time t. This is not surprising because classical mechanics is governed by differential equations, and the solution to differential equations is not always unique (x'=F(x) is only deterministic if F is Lipschitz continuous).

Aside from the phylosophical talk in the paper, what is the physics actually saying? Is the current understanding of physics able to determine what will be the actual behavior of the system described in the paper?

I know in real life the dome will never be perfectly frictionless or have that perfect shape, however this answer is not satisfying to me because if classical mechanics is truly fundamentally deterministic, then the mathematical axioms we use to describe it should also lead to determinism.

Were you familiar with this paradox. I personally found it surprising and rarther intriguing.

EDIT: The discussion of the actual physical example in the paper begins at page 8.

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u/TheRedditObserver0 — 2 days ago

I need a laptop that can run a Python script for a few hours without overheating.

The operating system should be windows at the start, but I'd like to try a dual boot with Linux sometime in the future so the hardware should be good enough to support it.

It should also last at least a couple hours on a full battery on normal usage.

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u/TheRedditObserver0 — 6 days ago

Prerequisites for complex geometry

Next year I'm going to take a course in complex geometry, it's should be based on books such as Griffiths&Harris, Huybrechts and Voisin.

I know some differential topology and obviously complex analysis, but I have never studied Riemannian geometry. Is this going to be an issue. How much Riemannian geometry do I need to learn to understand these books?

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u/TheRedditObserver0 — 11 days ago
▲ 677 r/mathsmemes+1 crossposts

No matter how much I study, it always feels like I haven't scratched the surface.

Sorry for the low quality, my image editing skills are trash.

u/TheRedditObserver0 — 14 days ago

I'm a beginner in Python, I know how to handle variables, basic datatypes, functions, loops, if and try statements and very basic classes. Essentially the typical "intro to Python" course. Still, there is not much I'm able to do with these instruments.

I don't think I'm advanced enough for intermediate courses, so could you please give me some tips on how to bridge the gap? I really don't know where to start.

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u/TheRedditObserver0 — 21 days ago