physics test cases

[gusl]

What's your favorite equational derivation in physics? I'm testing my equational theorem prover.

If you know any of physics arguments that use any non-standard reasoning (e.g. using diagrams), please please let me know.

Also, if you have any problems which involve semantic reasoning... maybe boring textbook examples will be good enough.

If you're wondering why I'm asking, it's because my thesis is titled "Automating Normal Science".

Ok.. back to Halliday & Resnick.

Comments

[smandal.livejournal.com]

Physical reasoning is often inserted in the middle of derivations, to inform the math.

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

Can you give me an example of "physical reasoning"?

It sounds like this "inform" the math always comes in the form of adding assumptions... am I correct?

[smandal.livejournal.com]

How do physics derivations work? The most basic involves physical laws and boundary/symmetry conditions, which are easy to express algebraically. (They might have to be transcribed from a diagram.)

The next level of sophistication is thinking about what you can throw away, via Taylor expansions and other approximations. This is harder to express algebraically, but still possible. It would require significant skill to for see the possible approximations, or computer power to see which approximations would work.

Finally, there is coming up with a whole new model. This would be entirely semantic/diagrammatic. For example, as with novel objects, like composite fermions or path integrals or Feynman diagrams.