What is Choice: Definition and 693 Discussions

A choice is the range of different things from which you can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a given destination at a specified time. The preferred (and therefore chosen) route can then account for information such as the length of each of the possible routes, the amount of fuel in the vehicle, traffic conditions, etc.
Simple choices might include what to eat for dinner or what to wear on a Saturday morning – choices that have relatively low-impact on the chooser's life overall. More complex choices might involve (for example) what candidate to vote for in an election, what profession to pursue, a life partner, etc. – choices based on multiple influences and having larger ramifications.
Freedom of choice is generally cherished, whereas a severely limited or artificially restricted choice can lead to discomfort with choosing, and possibly an unsatisfactory outcome. In contrast, a choice with excessively numerous options may lead to confusion, reduced satisfaction, regret of the alternatives not taken, and indifference in an unstructured existence;
and the illusion that choosing an object or a course, necessarily leads to the control of that object or course, can cause psychological problems.

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  1. marcus

    Choice for 3rd quarter MIP (most important QG paper)

    Which of these 3rd quarter 2008 papers do you predict will prove most valuable to future research? Significant papers tend to be cited more in subsequent research---we will soon have citation counts to go by, on some of these, as well as subjective judgment. Polling let's us share information as...
  2. J

    Is axiom of choice applicationless?

    Does there exist a theorem, whose proof relies on the axiom of choice, and which has practical or concrete applications? I'll consider for example PDE and number theory problems practical or concrete, because they can be intuitively connected with the physical world. On the other hand, for...
  3. Raven

    News Was Sarah Palin the Right Choice for McCain's VP?

    John McCain's timing to announce Sarah Palin as his VP running mate was definitely successful at quickly turning the media's attention to his campaign after the big Barack Obama acceptance speech at the closing of the DNC. But the question that came up most was "Who is Sarah Palin?". Was she...
  4. E

    How can I use Markov Chains to predict a user's next choice of color?

    Hi everyone, I'm more of a programmer than a mathematician/physicist. However, my query on google and such, led me here and I think someone might be able to help me. I'm trying to create a program that guesses the next colour the user will select, based on previous selections. I've come...
  5. L

    Chadwick's Choice: Solving the London Telegraph Puzzle

    Chadwick worked as personal secretary to Forbisher. He was given a list to type up that Forbisher was to submit to the London Telegraph puzzle editor within the hour because he was certain he had solved the puzzle. However Chadwick carelessly dropped a cigarette on the paper before he had a...
  6. A

    Schools How much effect does undergrad university have on choice of PhD uni (UK)?

    I am just coming into Year 13 in the UK and I need to choose which universities to apply to, at AS Level I got 5As in Maths, Further Maths, Bio, Chem and Physics so I have a free choice as far as entry requirements go with the exception of places like Oxbridge and maybe even Imperial where there...
  7. D

    Axiom of Choice: Unveiling the Mystery Behind Unsolvable Problems

    Can someone give me a list of problems which at first sight require the axiom of choice, but do not?
  8. C

    Schools Grad school choice for master of aerospace engineering

    Hi people I am going to do Master for Aerospace Engineering in the coming September and having a hard time to decide to go to which school and really like to hear some comment from you people. I have posted this content in the other discussion but seems like nobody read that discussion anymore...
  9. wolram

    Surprising ISP Choice: 2can & Twitscali

    So i have a new isp, after much searching around i thought the best package was 2can, what a shock to find out to late they are owned by twitscali, the one and only ones i had so much bother with, oh well at least i have a much better download speed for now.
  10. T

    Wise choice of graduate direction

    I'm about to graduate and I should choose my graduation thesis. My choice will probably determine my PhD area of research so I want to choose wisely. That's why I need some help from guys who are deep in research waters. My areas of interests are solid state physics and plasma physics. My...
  11. A

    Coordinate transformation and choice of a suitable coordinate system.

    Consider the line element: ds^2=-f(x)dt^2+g(x)dx^2 in a coordinate system (t,x) where f(x) and g(x) are two functions to be determined by solving Einstein equation. But I can always make a transformation g(x)dx^2=dy^2 and then calculate everything in the (t,y) coordinate system. My...
  12. M

    Schools Need help with university choice

    hi all i am a high school student(in ontario) going on to university next year.i'm planning on going into life sciences and eventually get into med school. i'm stuck between the university of toronto and queen's university and was wondering if anyone can help me in my decision. I am hoping...
  13. A

    Can equation of motion depend on the choice of metric?

    It seems strange to me that in such a simple case as the following the equation of motion depends on the choice of metric! In flat space we have say: \partial^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\phi=\frac{dV}{d\phi} Suppose \phi depends on space alone and we work in 1+1 dimension. then \eta_{\mu...
  14. I

    Is Timeless Light the Key to Understanding Quantum Eraser Experiments?

    The paper described at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_choice_quantum_eraser rather intrigues me. While the results appear counter intuitive to us, the properties being tested are those of light, and since light travels at speed c, is it not the case that for light time stands still...
  15. D

    [Multiple Choice] wavelength of an object. de Broglie wavelength

    [SOLVED] [Multiple Choice] ...wavelength of an object. de Broglie wavelength 1. THE PROBLEM STATEMENT MULTIPLE CHOICE Which of the following would you expect to have the largest wavelength associated with it? (A) a quick-moving bee (B) an electron orbiting a nucleus (C) a slowly lumbering...
  16. J

    School Choice and the Impact of Institution Name on Education Quality

    As a few of you may know I posted here recently asking for info on Computer Science. Today I had a conversation with a co-worker regarding that subject. Let me give a little bit of background info first. My co-worker is 18 and I'm 24. Nothing significant however the dude is fresh out of HS...
  17. H

    Delayed choice in the Copenhagen interpretation

    Could someone explain to me how the delayed choice experiment is described within the framework of the Copenhagen interpretation? (Double slit experiment with two slits open but a late decission to measure the path of the particle). I do not understand how the deterministic evolution of the...
  18. Useful nucleus

    Navigating a Tough Choice: Accepting an Offer from MIT

    In June 2007 I applied for a Ph.D. to some universities for Spring 2008.Up to November 2007, I didn't get any response from these universities. This in turn motivated me to apply for fall 2008. In spite of my despair , I applied to the top universities for the fall term. Howevre,one of the...
  19. E

    Programs PhD choice: Theoretical Astro or Instrumentation?

    Hi folks, I am trying to choose between two PhD scholarships. They are both at the same university & both research groups have excellent reputations. I'm being pressured by the university to make a decision by Monday. They're British PhDs so I'm assigned to my research topic right from the...
  20. M

    Do you believe in the Axiom of Choice?

    Feel free to give your reasons. I voted yes, because too many useful theorems are thrown out the window if Axiom of Choice is rejected. I believe that these useful theorems outweigh the surprising (strange?) results that also arise from AC (e.g. every set can be well-ordered). Also, if AC...
  21. K

    What's your opinions on the Axiom of Choice?

    I, by the first time, came across with the Axiom of Choice today, found it beautiful, of course. And I'm interested in seeing, ladies and gentlemen here, as mathematicians, what are your attitude towards that axiom, I mean, the stronger one (i.e. the infinite axiom of choice). For example, do...
  22. S

    Help with multiple choice question

    Homework Statement Which is true about the method find? //Return TreeNode with target value, or null if target not found public static TreeNode find(TreeNode root, Comparable target) { if(root == null) return null; else if(target.compareTo(root.getValue()) == 0)...
  23. V

    Choice fo courses - Accountancy or Engineering?

    I'm having trouble if what course I should take... :cry:... Accountancy or Engineering? Which one?
  24. R

    Buffer Solution question (mult. choice).

    New here, hello :) Which of following mixtures will be a buffer when dissolved in a liter of water? a. .1 mole of Ba(OH)2 and .2 mole of HBr b. .3 mole of KCl and .3 mole of HCl c. .4 mole of NH3 and .4 mole of HCl d. .2 mole of CH3COOH and .1 mole of NaOH e. .2 mole of HBr and...
  25. G

    Solve Multiple Choice Questions: Homework Statement

    Homework Statement Hey guys i was taking some practice excercises and was wondering if someone could give me the answers to the following: 1.The following questions are about this experiment in which a test-mass moves in a horizontal circle at constant speed. What is the direction of the...
  26. G

    Circular Motion and Centripetal Force

    Hey guys i was taking some practice excercises and was wondering if someone could give me the answers to the following: 1.The following questions are about this experiment in which a test-mass moves in a horizontal circle at constant speed. What is the direction of the test-mass...
  27. P

    Explaining Einstein's Choice of R_ab - 1/2 g_ab R

    Why did Einstein chose R_ab - 1/2 g_ab R = k T_ab the Right side is basically saying the mass/energy causes the curvature and must be a conserved quantity, but why is the curvature expressed like it is on the LHS i know it is conserved through differentiation but why that and not any other...
  28. P

    Capacitance: (multiple choice)

    A capacitor is first connected to a 6.0 V battery and then disconnected and connected to a 12.0 V battery. How does the charge on one of its plates change: (a) It increases, (b) it decreases, or (c) it 1stays the same? (c) (because the charge on the plate is depending upon...
  29. P

    Current and Drift Velocity (multiple choice)

    [SOLVED] Current and Drift Velocity (multiple choice) 1. In a dental X-ray machine, the movement of accelerated electrons is east. The current associated with these electrons is in what direction: (a) east, (b) west, or (c) zero? 3. At first I thought it was B (west) because...
  30. U

    Spring Semester - Help W/ Class Choice

    I'll have to take a class next semester as a junior level EE that I'm not really looking forward to. The reason is because of the professor. He is a nice guy to talk to, but as far as teaching, he is the worst. It is one of the most common known facts at my school. I had him for a class this...
  31. D

    Calculating Work on a Frictionless Slope with Multiple Choice Help

    Homework Statement A man pushes an 80 N crate a distance of 5.0 m upward along a frictionless slope that makes an angle of 30° with the horizontal. The force he exerts is parallel to the slope. If the speed of the crate is constant, then the work done by the man is: a) 61 J b) 200 J c)...
  32. quasar987

    Axiom of Choice: Finite Character & Maximal Sets

    There is an axiom/lemma from Teichmilles & Tukey that is equivalent to the axiom of choice. It reads, Every family of sets F that is of finite character (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_character) possesses a maximal element. I just want to confirm that here, "maximal set" means a set...
  33. B

    Are These Multiple Choice Reactions Correct?

    Match the reaction type with the reaction: AnSwErS: A) Synthesis B) Single Replacemet C) Double Replacement D) Combustion E) Decomposition Problems: 1. 2Na + Cl2 2NaCl 2. 4NaF + O2 2Na2O + 2F2 3. 4LiH + AlCl3 3LiCl + LiAlH4 4. 2H2O 2H2 + O2
  34. M

    I think I made a bad choice and too bad I don't have a time machine

    I need some guidance and hopefully you guys will help me choose on what career I should pursue ... First of all, I dislike English, mostly Shakespeare Second of all, I don't really enjoy chemistry, but I do enjoy physics except for electricity which I HATE with a passion Third of all, I love...
  35. Loren Booda

    The poor: by chance or by choice?

    When you see a homeless, destitute person, do you ascribe their poverty mostly to willful choice, or a series of unfortunate events out of their control?
  36. T

    Multiple Choice- Angular Velocity

    Homework Statement Which one of the following statements is NOT true for a rotating CD undergoing angular acceleration? A) The angular speed is the same at any point on the disk B) The lnear speed is the same at any point on the disk C) The angular accerlation is perpendicular to the...
  37. L

    Comp Eng to CS a wise choice,.

    As In my other thread I am currently a computer engineering student, and in junior standing but currently have not taken any EE classes and am only up to Calc 2 Linear Algebra E & M Programming languages. I am very weak in math and its a really struggle but physics is even harder as the...
  38. wolram

    Deciding Between Money and Security: A Tough Choice

    Is it worth it, one seems to miss out on everything, ok i get paid buckets of money, but i never have time to spend it, but then i am almost my own boss and do not have to put up with the day to day triva, just the c--p that the day shift leaves me with, stuff that they say they had no time to...
  39. S

    Why Do We Need the Axiom of Choice?

    the axiom of choice. Help! well i am having trouble understanding why we need the axiom of choice. So could anybody post here some problems, and their solutions, that include the axiom of choice, and explain how it works, so how it is used in solving problems, and explain why we actually need...
  40. C

    Multiple Choice Kinematics Question

    Kinematics Question (Speed, velocity and acceleration) Homework Statement For each of the following situations below circle the appropriate signs for each quantity listed. Assume east is + and west is - (see photo below) Homework Equations None I believe The Attempt at a...
  41. P

    Lagrangian depend upon upon my choice of generalized coordinates?

    does the lagrangian depend upon upon my choice of generalized coordinates
  42. C

    How much choice for free ultrafilters?

    In ZF, AC implies the ultrafilter theorem (every Boolean algebra has a free ultrafilter). Is the converse known to be false? That is, is there a model of ZF where the ultrafilter theorem is true and AC is false? Does some weaker version of AC (countable choice, for example) imply the...
  43. R

    Light Bulbs Interference Pattern - Vey Easy Multiple Choice

    Homework Statement Two small light bulbs are placed close together to try and create an interference pattern. This pattern would not be visible due to the: a. random phase differences between the light waves from the two sources b. very high speed of the light waves c. diffraction of the...
  44. B

    Wheeler's delayed choice gedanken experiment

    Hello ! here is a link towards an article describing an experiment that is a realisation of Wheeler's delayed choice gedanken experiment : http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0610241 the conclusion is quite interesting : "Our realization of Wheeler’s delayed choice GedankenExperiment...
  45. S

    Is Embry-Riddle a good choice for pursuing Engineering or Space Physics?

    Embry-Riddle. Bad choice?? Hello All. I just finished my senior year of high school and I have sold my soul to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for 32,000 a year. Actually I got the cost cut down to about 15 thousand a year but still that's a fortune for my family. (My father makes about...
  46. A

    Engineering Help engineering career choice

    Well I like the maths and physics a lot so I am going to study an engineering, at this moment I am considering 3: aerospace engineering, civil engineering or mechanical engineering. I like the three, that's why i need your help to make a better choice. the diferences, etc.
  47. N

    Multiple choice def integral question

    Homework Statement If f is a continuous real valued function, then the def integral from 0 to 1 of f(x)dx = a. limit as n-> + infinity of 1/n * the sumation from k=0 to n-1 of f(k/n) b. limit as n-> + infinity of the sumation from k=1 to n of (1/k)*f(k/n) c. limit as n-> + infinity of...
  48. A

    Help Choose Next Year's High School Schedule for a Junior

    I need to choose the best schedule for next year (I'm going to be a Junior in High school). Please help me decide which option I should go with. Thanks! 1st choice: (7 Classes) AP Calculus APUSH AP Biology AP Enviornmental science English 11 H (Highest English 11 class in our school)...
  49. B

    Engineering Career choice for Electronic and Computer Engineer Graduate

    Hey, I will be completing my course in Electronic and Computer Engineering in May of this year. My course has covered a broad range of topics from Analogue Circuit Design to Development of Embedded Systems to Object Orientated Programming in Java and C++. I now have to decide which path to go...
  50. wolram

    Geometry of Time, Axiom of Choice, and Neuro-Biological Quantum Zeno Effect

    Is ther a mass loss at the time of death? Can brain states be frozen? [9] arXiv:0704.1054 [ps, pdf, other] : Title: Geometry of Time, Axiom of Choice and Neuro-Biological Quantum Zeno Effect Authors: Moninder Singh Modgil Comments: 13 pages Role of axiom of choice in quantum...
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