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

Symmetry Arguments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_greg/]

My success when I was studying physics in college was due to my being uninterested in memorizing formulas and being good at deriving what I need on the spot. My biggest tool has always been symmetry, including abstract symmetries. Often an argument based on symmetry made a problem trivial (problems given in physics classes usually are trivial, but disguised). Other times the symmetries were the clue to the approach and to deriving what was needed. I suppose another way of saying it is invariances. I find the work of Emma Noether particularly inspiring.

Re: Symmetry Arguments

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

My success when I was studying physics in college was due to my being uninterested in memorizing formulas and being good at deriving what I need on the spot.

Me too, although you could say I only "minored" in physics. It sounds like we have a similar "psychoepistemology".

I've always been one to do everything from first principles, especially abstract principles of mathematics, rather than "physical laws"... which is the reason I like information theory and proofs that use Kolmogorov Complexity.

Re: Symmetry Arguments

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

So for example, I'm the kind of guy who always asks whether the hypothesized result is invariant under Lorentz transforms (speed-relativity is an abstract philosophical principle).