What is General: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, or marines.In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel.The term general is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer and as a specific rank.
It originates in the 16th century, as a shortening of captain general, which rank was taken from Middle French capitaine général.
The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.
Today, the title of general is known in some countries as a four-star rank. However, different countries use different systems of stars or other insignia for senior ranks. It has a NATO rank scale code of OF-9 and is the highest rank currently in use in a number of armies, air forces, and marine organizations.

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  1. Greg Bernhardt

    General World Cup and in-game discussion

    We need a general thread to talk about all the matches. So here it is! Let's keep the discussion rolling during the matches too for those who are watching. If you are interested in joining the PF World Cup Futbol League go here: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=756611 First...
  2. NathanaelNolk

    General Maths & Physics textbooks for the university

    Hello guys :smile:, First of all, sorry for my bad english, I'm not a native speaker. :) I'm a Swiss currently in High School. I first took Philosophy as a specialization when I began my High School, but as I started to think about what kind of study I wanted to do at University, I...
  3. X

    How do I find the General Term of a Sequence?

    1. Write down the general term of each of the following sequences in simplest form: So far I have been using guess and check to find the solutions, but it doesn't seem much use when you get to a sequence more complicated like this: 1, -4, 7, -10, 13, ... I really need to find an equation that I...
  4. sheldonrocks97

    Is General Physics II harder than General Physics I?

    I am transferring from community college to university in the fall with only General Physics I completed, so I need to take General Physics II at university. I felt like I did okay in Physics I (I got a B), but I definitely would like to review some of the topics in that class, so what topics...
  5. M

    General Expression for Round Metric on an N-sphere

    Homework Statement I want to know the expression for the round metric of an n-sphere of radius r Homework Equations I have obtained this for a 3-sphere dS^{2}=dr^{2}+r^{2}(d\theta_{1}^{2}+sin^{2}\theta_{1}d\theta_{2}^{2} +sin^{2}\theta_{1}sin^{2}\theta_{2}d\theta_{3}^{2}) The...
  6. T

    General Formula for Acceleration of a Disk Rolling Down an Incline

    Hi everyone, For an experiment I am writing up I have to model the acceleration of a disk rolling down an incline (at an angle of θ to the ground) with various hole sizes in the center. A am aware that the moment of inertia for this object is given by 1/2m(a^2 + b^2) and that the net...
  7. J

    General form of the solutions of polynomials

    I was studying a article that solves the cube and quartic equation in the inverse sense: ##x = \sqrt[3]{A} + \sqrt[3]{B}## ##x = \sqrt[4]{A} + \sqrt[4]{B} + \sqrt[4]{C}## https://www.physicsforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=70239&stc=1&d=1401676309I found this relationship too...
  8. J

    General equation of motion with gravitational field

    I was studying the equations of free fall and of launch when I realize that those equations are spetial case of a object in motion through of a gravitational field. So exist some general equation that describe the motion (the trajetory*) of the object through of the field (using initial values...
  9. S

    Classical Mechanics or General Physics?

    I'm thinking about being a physics major with a double major in Earth Science. At my college Classical Mechanics is a required course for a physics major, whereas General Physics is required for the Earth Science major. There is an option at my school to take General Physics instead of Classical...
  10. BiGyElLoWhAt

    Help with finding a determinant's general form

    For a homework assignment I need to find the determinant of: ##\left | \begin{array}{cccc} a^0 & b^0 & c^0 & d^0 \\ a^1 & b^1 & c^1 & d^1 \\ a^2 & b^2 & c^2 & d^2 \\ a^3 & b^3 & c^3 & d^3 \\ \end{array} \right | ## I've reduced my matrix, through linear combinations and column...
  11. Q

    Simple PDE: Finding the General Solution for u_{xx} + u = 6y

    Homework Statement Find the general solution of u_{xx} + u = 6y, in terms of arbitrary functions.Homework Equations The PDE has the homogeneous solution, u(x,y)=Acos(x)+Bsin(x) . u_{xx} + u = 6y has the particular solution, u(x,y)=6y The Attempt at a Solution Taking a superposition...
  12. kq6up

    General Solution for Eigenvalues for a 2x2 Symmetric Matrix

    Homework Statement From Mary Boas' "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Science" 3rd Edition Chapter 3 Sec 11 Problem 33 ( 3.11.33 ). Find the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of the real symmetric matrix. $$M=\begin{pmatrix} A & H \\ H & B \end{pmatrix}$$ Show the eigenvalues are real and...
  13. Spinnor

    Nice general collection of high resolution astro images.

    Nice general collection of high resolution astro images. http://www.holtz.org/Library/Images/Slideshows/Gallery/Cosmic/
  14. C

    Linus Pauling's General Chemistry

    Is anyone able to comment on the crystalline structures in the second chapter? Copper's cubic unit of structure is described as a face-centered cubic arrangement with atoms at coordinates 0,0,0; 0,1/2,1/2; 1/2,0,1/2; 1/2,1/2,0. The iron cubic unit of structure is described as a body-centered...
  15. E

    "Special" and "General" relativity- Who invented those terms?

    Hi all, I can't seem to find any historic account of when those two theories got their (quite strange) names. Can someone point me to a source? One of the reasons I am interested in this is the persistent idea in popularizing texts, especially from the 1970's, that Special Relativity could...
  16. G

    Mechanics General Motion in a Straight Line

    Homework Statement A particle P starts from rest at a point O and moves in a straight line. P has acceleration 0.6t m s−2 at time t seconds after leaving O, until t = 10. (i) Find the velocity and displacement from O of P when t = 10. After t = 10, P has acceleration −0.4t m/s^2 until it...
  17. F

    Understanding Subspaces in Rn: Exploring the Role of Orthonormal Bases

    Hello everyone, I have a theoretical question on subspaces. Consider the space Rn. The zero vector is indeed a subspace of Rn. However, if I am not mistaken, the zero vector has no orthonormal basis, even though it is a subspace. I thought all subspaces have an orthonormal basis (or is it...
  18. carllacan

    How to learn general engineering ?

    How to learn "general engineering"? Hi. I'm a third year physics bachelor student. I'd like to learn how to apply my physics knowledge to the design of products. Which skills do you think should I try to learn? Like: 3D design, technical drawing, electronics... In other words: once I know the...
  19. D

    General solution of diffential equation

    Homework Statement for this question , i dun know which method should i use... can someone enlighten me on this? i sub y=vx then differentiate with respect to x but can't get the ans Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  20. J

    General Relativistic Effects on an Electro-Magnet

    Let's say there's a current going around in a superconducting loop in vacuum. Then the loop gets buried in huge amount of matter, which has the same magnetic susceptibility as vacuum. (when not affected by gravity the matter has the same magnetic susceptibility as vacuum) Will the magnetic...
  21. R

    General relativity and accelerated frames

    Hi, I'm going deeper in basics points on general relativity but, instead of swimming directly between the differential geometry, I'm trying to base my knowledge on strong physics bases first. I'm studying both on Wheeler's stuff ( I'm collecting almost all his books ), directly on Einstein's...
  22. D

    General solution of differential equation (express y in term of x)

    Homework Statement i got stucked here. below is the answer given. can anybody help please? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  23. D

    General solution of diffential equation

    Homework Statement i can't reduce the eq to y= (X+1)/(x+c ) , which part is wrong? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  24. S

    MHB Using Residue Calculus For a General Cosine Angle

    Hi, I am supposed to use residue calculus to do the following integral $$\int_{0}^{2\pi}\frac{1}{a+b\cos( \theta) } \mathrm{d}\theta$$ for |b|<|a| i have paremetrise it on $$\gamma(0;1)$$ that is $$z=\exp(i\theta), 0\leq\theta\leq2\pi$$ and obtain the following...
  25. C

    General solution of a system of diff eq's.

    Homework Statement Find the general solution of y'=Ay. Your answer must be a real-valued function. A= \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1\\ 0 & 1\\ \end{pmatrix} Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution The first step would be to find the eigenvalues. I forgot the name of the term but if...
  26. skate_nerd

    MHB General formula for this weird Gaussian integral?

    Is there a formula for Gaussian integrals of the form $$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}{x^n}{e^{-a(x-b)^2}}dx$$ I've looked all over, and all I could find were formulas saying $$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}{e^{-a(x-b)^2}}dx=\sqrt{\frac{\pi}{a}}$$ and...
  27. R

    Entanglement and general relativity

    The concepts of general relativity seem to fit (sorta) well with quantum physics, but how does the quantum world fit with general relativity? Specifically, I'm wondering if entanglement has any grounds that you can derive from GR?
  28. M

    Planck's General Mechanics Book

    Recently, I've come across Planck's lectures in theoretical physics and I have a couple questions. Although I'm curious about the series as a whole, I'm mostly interested in volume 1: General Mechanics and maybe Mechanics of Deformable Bodies. The Series consists of: General Mechanics...
  29. C

    General solution for a PDE with new variables

    Homework Statement Find the general solution f = f(x,y) of class C2 to the partial differential equation \frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial x^2}+4\frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial x \partial y}+\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}=0 by introducing the new variables u = 4x - y, v = y. Homework Equations...
  30. S

    General expanded form of (x+y+z)^k

    Hi, (hope it doesn't seem so weird), I'm looking for a general expanded form of (x+y+z)^{k}, k\in N k=1: x+y+z k=2: x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}+2xy+2xz+2yz k=3: x^{3}+y^{3}+z^{3}+3xy^{2}+3xz^{2}+3yz^{2}+3x^{2}y+3x^{2}z+3y^{2}z+6xyz k=4: x^{4}+y^{4}+z^{4}+4xy^{3}+4x^{3}y+4xz^{3}+4x^{3}z+4yz^{3}...
  31. N

    Help required w/ vectors: general equations, intersection points

    Homework Statement In this question we consider the following six points in R3: A(0,10,3) B(4,18,5) C(1,1,1) D(1,0,1) E(0,1,3) F(2,6,2) a) Find a vector equation for the line through the points A and b b) Find general equations for the line from a c) Find a vector equation for the...
  32. J

    General formula for the nth integral

    For my own use and consumption, I created a generalization of the nth integral of a function f and I'm posting it here for you look: $$\int f(x) dx = f^{(-1)}(x) + C_1$$ $$\iint f(x) dxdx = f^{(-2)}(x) + xC_1 + C_2$$ $$\iiint f(x) dxdxdx = f^{(-3)}(x) + \frac{1}{2}x^2C_1 + xC_2 + C_3$$...
  33. H

    How can gravitons be linked to general relativity?

    Hi, this might be a silly question, but it does confuse me when I read about general relativity. From what I know about quantum mechanics, a force always needs a force carrier. For example photons are force-carriers for electric or magnetic force; the so-called ‘gravitons’ are the force-carriers...
  34. Spinnor

    What in general prevents plants from rotting while they are alive?

    What in general prevents plants from rotting while they are alive? Do plants that go dormant in the winter need to spend energy to maintain a defense, say a flower bulb? Thanks for any help!
  35. F

    Theory of general relativity- Falsifiable?

    Theory of general relativity-- Falsifiable? "... Supposing that the bodies act upon the surrounding space causing curving of the same, it appears to my simple mind that the curved spaces must react on the bodies, and producing the opposite effects, straightening out the curves. Since action and...
  36. S

    General vs. Specialized Engineering

    I am currently a general engineering student and plan on getting a electrical concentration. Would it be better to transfer to a college that offers electrical engineering? Which would have better job opportunities. Also, I plan on getting a masters in EE. Would one degree prepare me more for...
  37. V

    Regarding human evolution and evolution in general

    I spoke to someone that said that the reason we know humans originated from evolution is because there is no other scientifically possible explanation. I originally thought the reason we knew humans originated from evolution because we had explicit evidence of human evolution. Although now that...
  38. H

    General Harmonic Oscillator

    Edit: Problem solved please disregard this post Homework Statement A particle in the harmonic oscillator potential has the initial wave function \Psi(x, 0) = ∑(from n = 0 to infinity) Cnψn(x) where the ψ(x) are the (normalized) harmonic oscillator eigenfunctions and the coefficients are given...
  39. D

    Bounding General Shapes with Polygons, Especially Concave

    I apologize if this is the wrong forum but I need access to mathematicians who know what's happening with polygonal math. I created an unproven algorithm (or heuristic) back in 1999/2000 for bounding shapes with polygons. It was interesting because it was fast, general for polygons of any...
  40. V

    The threshold of general relativity gravity

    In Padmanabhan's Theoretical Astrophysics by defining a ratio for comparing gravitational potential energy with rest-mass energy it is shown that if massive objects with M=10^33 gm are confined to small regions with R= 1km then we cannot use Newtonian gravity because the system has general...
  41. L

    How does General Relativity contradict quantum mechanics?

    How does General Relativity "contradict" quantum mechanics? I couldn't work out exactly where to post this. I've heard several times that QM and General relativity "contradict" each other and in certain extreme conditions this becomes a problem. Is this right? I've only heard this in very vague...
  42. C

    General and/or Specific Advice For a Fall 2014 Freshman

    I'm 19, aspiring to go into professional physics, most probably in the astrophysics branch. I'm mostly attracted to gravity (please do not mind the pun), quantum mechanics, string theory, the remote possibility of FTL travel using Alcubierre Drives (or better technology, someday), fusion, et al...
  43. mesa

    What is this called? A general solution?

    If we have a function such as, $$e=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} f(k)$$ Where 'k' can be (almost) any real value we choose and the summation series (although unique for each value of 'k') will always be equal to 'e' exactly, what do we call this?
  44. Drakkith

    Questions on General Relativity and Beyond

    To my understanding General Relativity is a theory of geometry. Is it mandatory that the next step beyond GR also be a theory of geometry, or is there/could there be something else that is believed to give the same results without using geometry? I hope that makes sense.
  45. P

    General and special theory of relativity in few words

    How can I explain to someone who has only high school level of education in physics, what is general and special theory of relativity about? Each of them separetelly in one or two sentences please. General theory of relativity … Special theory of relativity ... Thank you.
  46. D

    Objects Falling in General Relativity

    Greetings, I've been learning about special relativity and most of the learning media included a part of general relativity. From that I learned that space-time is curved and orbits are nothing more than an object following a path in 4D. However I do not understand how those objects may rotate...
  47. H

    General questions on the formalism of QFT

    1. Why are there an unfixed number of particles? Texts usually present some hand-waving argument with bits and pieces of SR and NRQM thrown together. Are there more rigorous explanations? 2. How can the scalar fields suddenly be opeartors? I never understood this step mathematically, one...
  48. Q

    General Equation about Energy lost due to Friction

    Homework Statement The statement below arises from a marble and track lab, and I'm enthralled to figure out a generalized equation ( variables only ) for energy lost per meter of track. Track is 12 feet long, but can be curved for hills and loops. Using a small section of track and marble...
  49. SrVishi

    General Higher Order Linear Non-Homogeneous Diff Eq's

    Hello, I am learning about the general solution to higher order linear non-homogeneous differential equations. I know that the general solution of such an equation is of the form ##y=y_h+y_p## where ##y_h## is the solution to the respective homogeneous equation and ##y_p## is a particular...
  50. P

    Math level to solve Irodov Problems in General Physics

    Greetings, PF. With many recommendations and just enough confidence in my ability to solve problems, I've recently purchased the renowned Problems in General Physics by I. E. Irodov. With excitement, I opened the book and read the first problem. It took a lot of thinking to solve the first few...
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