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struggle4progress

(126,235 posts)

7. '... The emergence of the formula probably doesn't signal anything profound about quantum theory,

Reply to G_j (Original post)

Fri Nov 13, 2015, 04:46 PM

Nov 2015

cautions Bruno Nachtergaele, a mathematical physicist at the University of California, Davis, and editor of the journal in which the paper was published. "You are entitled to be delighted by this," he says, "but one shouldn't look too deep for meaning." In fact, the emergence of the formula may have more to do with the properties of gamma functions than the physics of the hydrogen atom, Nachtergaele says. Special functions such as gamma functions can often be written out in many ways as sums, products, integrals, etc., Nachtergaele says, so it's possible that Friedmann and Hagen's analysis could lead to other notable formulas ...'

Famed number π found hidden in the hydrogen atom
By Adrian Cho
13 November 2015 11:45 am

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A classic formula for pi has been discovered hidden in hydrogen atoms [View all] G_j Nov 2015 OP

Way cool! nt valerief Nov 2015 #1

Um, the link is to a story from Politico about Bush* and Nineleven(TM) KamaAina Nov 2015 #2

here: annabanana Nov 2015 #4

I find this fascinating.. annabanana Nov 2015 #3

You can also find pi in the gaussian distribution. DetlefK Nov 2015 #5

The Wallis formula.... jberryhill Nov 2015 #6

thanks that clears it up saturnsring Nov 2015 #12

Well, I think anyone can see the pattern there jberryhill Nov 2015 #13

. . . hifiguy Nov 2015 #18

'... The emergence of the formula probably doesn't signal anything profound about quantum theory, struggle4progress Nov 2015 #7

Ayup. nt eppur_se_muova Nov 2015 #16

Jolly Good Show! Octafish Nov 2015 #8

TLDR. randome Nov 2015 #9

Aw how cute, one of your groupies showed up! Rex Nov 2015 #14

Lawnmowers and weed whackers!! FlatBaroque Nov 2015 #25

and eventually all sciences and subjects will just collapse back into each other MisterP Nov 2015 #10

That is mind-bendingly cool. hifiguy Nov 2015 #11

But is it just a coincidence or is there a deeper meaning to this discovery? Rex Nov 2015 #15

I think the only thing it means standing by itself hifiguy Nov 2015 #17

You might enjoy a recent (excellent) article from Nautilus on that very topic... drokhole Nov 2015 #33

Thanks! hifiguy Nov 2015 #36

great term G_j Nov 2015 #37

The electrons orbiting hydrogen atoms are in a sphere. jeff47 Nov 2015 #19

I thought hydrogen has only one electron. Rex Nov 2015 #20

Yep, they only have 1 electron. jeff47 Nov 2015 #21

I see, so elections do not orbit in a spherical pattern in other elements. Rex Nov 2015 #22

Some of them do, some of them don't. jeff47 Nov 2015 #23

Only in the ground state caraher Nov 2015 #26

Yes, I left out that complexity since the entire concept of orbitals was new. (nt) jeff47 Nov 2015 #32

This thread is one of the reasons I still love this place. Mnemosyne Nov 2015 #24

Agree completely. Rex Nov 2015 #30

And the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know. nt Mnemosyne Nov 2015 #34

I gave up thinking I knew anything long ago. Rex Nov 2015 #35

I hear ya'! Damnedable runaway brain though... nt Mnemosyne Nov 2015 #38

Kick! These are awesome threads! nt Quackers Nov 2015 #27

May I be the first to point out that this may simply be a product of bored reality programmers. byronius Nov 2015 #28

The reasoning for this is somewhat circular. Maedhros Nov 2015 #29

Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Nov 2015 #31