What is Positive: Definition and 984 Discussions

Positive liberty is the possession of the capacity to act upon one's free will, as opposed to negative liberty, which is freedom from external restraint on one's actions. A concept of positive liberty may also include freedom from internal constraints.The concepts of structure and agency are central to the concept of positive liberty because in order to be free, a person should be free from inhibitions of the social structure in carrying out their free will. Structurally, classism, sexism, ageism, ableism and racism can inhibit a person's freedom. As positive liberty is primarily concerned with the possession of sociological agency, it is enhanced by the ability of citizens to participate in government and have their voices, interests, and concerns recognized and acted upon.
Isaiah Berlin's essay "Two Concepts of Liberty" (1958) is typically acknowledged as the first to explicitly draw the distinction between positive and negative liberty.

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  1. anemone

    MHB Prove Inequality for Positive Reals a, b, c

    Given that a, b, c are positive reals and not all equal, show that $\dfrac{a^3 + b^3 + c^3}{a^3b^3c^3}\ge\dfrac{1}{a}+\dfrac{1}{b}+\dfrac{1}{c}$
  2. M

    Principle of a positive corona discharge?

    Homework Statement So as I understand, a negative Corona discharge happens between an electrode/pin/rod and a plane electrode. When the sharper electrode is connected to the negative (DC) plug, electrons concentrate on the tip, when sufficient breakthrough voltage is achieved a discharge...
  3. UMath1

    Kinetic Energy of two positive charges flying apart

    Usually when we calculate the kinetic energy acquired by a positive charge as it moves in the direction of the electric field produced by another positive charge, we assume that the source charge remains stationary and so the loss in potential energy for the moving charge is equal to its gain in...
  4. D

    I Proving Zero is Positive or Negative

    Good morning, How do we prove that the number zero is a negative or positive number?
  5. Titan97

    A positive charge kept inside a conducting shell

    Homework Statement A positive point charge q is located off-center inside a conducting spherical shell.We know from Gauss’s law that the total charge on the inner surface of the shell is −q. Is the surface charge density negative over the entire inner surface? Or can it be positive on the far...
  6. T

    What's the Difference Between Positive and Negative?

    I am aware of what positive and negative polarities are but what specifically causes the distinction between positive and negative polarity?
  7. J

    I Probability current in positive finite square potential

    Hello! I want to prove that the probability current is a continuous entity at the boundaries of the square for the situation of 0< E< Vo in the problem where V is zero except a finite region in space where it is +Vo and we consider an incoming particle from the left(for example). I thought that...
  8. J

    I Is "R" always positive? (not a HW problem -- it's a general question)

    This references a specific problem in my Physics class in relations to electrical potential and electrical fields, but I kind of want a more general answer in terms of physics. So obviously, I know that distance is always positive. However, when I was given a problem to solve, there were 3...
  9. P

    Hermitian, positive definite matrices

    Homework Statement I am trying to prove the following: if ##A\in C^{m\ \text{x}\ m}## is hermitian with positive definite eigenvalues, then A is positive definite. This was a fairly easy proof. The next part wants me to prove if A is positive definite, then ##\Delta_k##=\begin{bmatrix} a_{11} &...
  10. I

    MHB Prove Positive Fraction + Inverse is ≥2

    Problem: Prove that any positive fraction plus its inverse is greater than or equal to two. Proof: \frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{a}\ge2 \frac{a^2+b^2}{ab}\ge2 {a^2+b^2}\ge2ab a^2+b^2 - 2ab\ge0 a^2 - 2ab + b^2\ge0 (a-b)^2\ge0 This is true for all a and b: Case 1: a>b\therefore a-b>0; (a-b)^2>0...
  11. Frankenstein19

    Why is acceleration positive in this exercise?

    Homework Statement Calculate the acceleration of a 1400kg car if it can stop from 35km/h (9.72m/s) on a dime (diameter= 1.7cm) (0.017m). What is the force felt by the 68kg occupant of the car? Homework Equations v^2=v0^2+2a(x-x0) F=ma The Attempt at a Solution ok after solving for a in that...
  12. Frankenstein19

    Problem with choosing which axis should be positive or negat

    Homework Statement A 14.0kg bucket is lowered vertically by a rope in which there is 163N of tension at a given instant. What is the acceleration of the bucket. Homework Equations ƩF = may The Attempt at a Solution I know how to solve this but I got it wrong because of the signs. Since the...
  13. anemone

    MHB Inequality challenge for all positive (but not zero) real a, b and c

    Prove \frac{ab}{a+b+ab}+\frac{bc}{b+c+bc}+\frac{ca}{c+a+ca}\le \frac{a^2+b^2+c^2+6}{9} for all positive real $a,\,b$ and $c$ and $a,\,b,\,c\ne 0$.
  14. Drakkith

    Negative and Positive E-Field Components

    Homework Statement In the diagram below, each division on the horizontal axis (the displacement s) is 0.10 m while each division on the vertical axis (the electric potential V) is 1.0 V. What is the electric field component along the displacement axis s in each of the regions specified below...
  15. G

    Harmonic oscillator positive position expectation value?

    So this is something that troubled me a bit- in Shankar's PQM, there's an exercise that asks you to find the position expectation value for the harmonic oscillator in a state \psi such that \psi=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0\rangle+|1\rangle) Where |n\rangle is the n^{th} energy eigenstate of...
  16. O

    I Positive Mass in the Lagrangian from Landau

    Hello, I'm sure most of you are already familiar with the book "Mechanics" by Landau and Lifshitz. There's a section that I do not understand. In section 4 towards the end they mentions that "It is easy to see that the mass of the particle cannot be negative." They then give the argument that...
  17. H

    Question: Accelerating Universe = Net Positive Energy?

    Physicists have observed the cosmic radiation background to conclude that the universe is flat (or within the margin of error of being flat). This means that the Universe contains the critical density needed to keep it flat, which is a mix of ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy (I...
  18. Frankenstein19

    I don't understand why velocity is positive here?

    Homework Statement It says that a horse gallops 116m away from its trainer in 14.0s and then abruptly turns and gallops halfway back in 4.8s. I need to calculate average velocity . displacement/ time elapsed. displacement is xf-xi. Homework Equations avg velocity= displacement/ time...
  19. A

    Negative plate of a charged capacitor is connected to positive plate

    What happens when negative plate of a charged capacitor is connected to positive plate of another charged capacitor and vice versa. ?
  20. anemone

    MHB Determine positive integer solutions

    Determine all triples of positive integers $x,\,y,\,z$ such that $z\ge y\ge x$ and $x+y+z+xy+yz+xz=xyz+1$.
  21. DiracPool

    What constitutes negative and positive energy

    I'm a little confused over what constitutes negative and positive energy. I've heard it said that we have a zero energy universe because the mass of the galaxies, etc. counts as positive energy which is exactly balanced out by gravity, or the gravitational potential, which counts as negative...
  22. S

    What is q and what is the charge (negative or positive)?

    Three identical point charges, each of mass m 0.10kg and charge q, hang from three strings, as pictured below. The lengths of the left and right strings are L 30.0cm and the angle is 45.0o. Just on looking at the picture I think the charge is positive since there is tension separation the...
  23. anemone

    MHB Proving Inequality for Positive Real Numbers

    For positive real numbers $a,\,b,\,c$, prove the inequality: a + b + c ≥ \frac{a(b + 1)}{a + 1} + \frac{b(c + 1)}{b + 1}+ \frac{c(a + 1)}{c + 1}
  24. Kerrigoth

    I Are the positive charges from a hole and a proton ?

    The book I'm reading is discussing the physics of semiconductors. I'm having a hard time understanding a passage in section introducing n-type semiconductors. (Phosphorus is used as the impurity) The book says: "At normal operating temperatures, this extra electron breaks its bond with the...
  25. anemone

    MHB Inequality challenge for positive real numbers

    If $a$ and $b$ are two positive real, and that $a^3+b^3=a-b$, prove that $2\left(\sqrt{2}-1\right)a^2-b^2\lt 1$.
  26. D

    Positive and negative work in terms of energy.

    How would we define positive and negative work in terms of energy? When the force and displacement are in opposite directions, we say the work done by the force is negative. When the force and displacement are in the same direction, we say the work done by the force is positive. However, how we...
  27. anemone

    MHB Find positive integer solutions

    Find all positive integer solutions to: $xyzt-2xyz-xyt+2xy+zt-2z-t=12$
  28. L

    False positive rate over two tests

    Hi everyone, and happy new year! A colleague at work came up with this problem today, which I find very interesting. We are both chemists, so our ability to solve it is limited - here I am asking for your help! In a target discovery campaign that we run, we have two separate tests, let's call...
  29. G

    C: Squaring string represented as positive integer

    Homework Statement Write a program that will square the input positive integer represented as a string. Homework Equations 3. The Attempt at a Solution [/B] Is there another way of squaring a string number instead of multiplying it by itself? Something like a pow() function for strings? If...
  30. S

    Maximum Positive Coordinate Reached by a Particle

    The problem gives you a function describing the position of a particle moving along an x axis: x(t) = 12t2 - 2t3 With this function, one must determine the maximum positive coordinate reached by a particle and the maximum positive velocity. The first step to the problem is to take the...
  31. M

    Work done negative and positive

    Homework Statement I was just wondering whether the following notes I took on work in physics are accurate? Or have I got my understanding wrong? Note on friction Following from the example of the dragging object above… The object stops because it loses kinetic energy due to friction. How...
  32. Ackbach

    MHB Quantum Computing: Positive Operators are Hermitian

    Exercise 2.24 on page 71 of Nielsen and Chuang's Quantum Computation and Quantum Information asks the reader to show that a positive operator is necessarily Hermitian. There is a hint given; namely, that you first show an arbitrary operator can be written $A=B+iC$, where $B$ and $C$ are...
  33. evinda

    MHB Is the Matrix Positive Definite?

    Hello! (Wave) We have that $q(x) \geq q_0>0, x \in [0,1], h>0$. Suppose that we have this $(N+1) \times (N+1) matrix$: $\begin{bmatrix} \frac{1}{h^2}+\frac{1}{h}+\frac{q(x_0)}{2} & -\frac{1}{h^2} & 0 & \cdots & 0 \\ -\frac{1}{h^2} & \frac{2}{h^2}+q(x_1) & -\frac{1}{h^2} & \cdots &0 \\ 0 &...
  34. perplexabot

    When is the gram matrix positive definite?

    Hey all. I know that A^TA is positive semidefinite. Is it possible to achieve a positive definite matrix from such a matrix multiplication (taking into account that A is NOT necessarily a square matrix)?
  35. perplexabot

    Constraint on M to keep M^T * A * M positive semidefinite?

    Hey all! Let me get right to it! It is given that $$A \succeq 0$$ I need the following to hold for M: $$M^TAM\succeq 0$$ What are the constraints or conditions on M for M^TAM\succeq 0 to hold? Anything would help at this point... I am open to discussion. Note: It may be worth mentioning that...
  36. anemone

    MHB Solve for positive integer solutions

    Solve for positive integers $x$ and $y$ where $x^2+x=y^3+y^2+y$.
  37. T

    MHB Alll Positive Integers proof by contraposition

    For all positive integers $n$, $r$, and $s$, if $rs \le n$ then $r \le\sqrt{n}$ or $s \le \sqrt{n}$ Proof: Suppose $r$ , $s$ and $n$, are integers and $r > \sqrt{n}$ and $ s > \sqrt{e}$. Multiply both sides of the first inequality by $s$. I get $sr > s\sqrt{n} $, but the book gives $rs >...
  38. D

    Diagonal Scaling of a 2x2 Positive Definite Matrix

    Given a Positive Definite Matrix ## A \in {\mathbb{R}}^{2 \times 2} ## given by: $$ A = \begin{bmatrix} {A}_{11} & {A}_{12} \\ {A}_{12} & {A}_{22} \end{bmatrix} $$ And a Matrix ## B ## Given by: $$ B = \begin{bmatrix} \frac{1}{\sqrt{{A}_{11}}} & 0 \\ 0 & \frac{1}{\sqrt{{A}_{22}}}...
  39. D

    Understand Field Lines: Positive & Negative Atoms

    Homework Statement https://www.google.se/search?q=f%C3%A4ltlinje&rlz=1C1_____enSE665SE665&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI9dTNgquLyQIVhJIsCh1NxQZU#tbm=isch&q=physics+field+lines&imgrc=rKecBAfLOMsOoM%3A Why are the field lines on the positive atom pointed...
  40. P

    Show that this inner product is positive definite

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I was able to do the second part of part a using integration by parts. But I am having no luck for the first part, proving that the inner product is positive definite. Pointers are appreciated!
  41. fricke

    Entropy change is intrinsically positive

    How can I prove that the entropy change is intrinsically positive? Given two systems with both of the heat capacities are independent of temperature.
  42. E

    Outer products & positive (semi-) definiteness

    Let ##u,v## be vectors in the same Euclidean space, and define the symmetric matrix ##M = uv'+vu'##, the sum of their two outer products. I'm interested in whether or not ##M## is positive (semi)definite. Does anybody know of any equivalent conditions that I might phrase "directly" in terms of...
  43. anemone

    MHB Find the positive integer solutions

    Find all the positive integers $x$ such that $\dfrac{1}{4}<\dfrac{1}{x+1}+\dfrac{1}{x+2}+\dfrac{1}{x+3}<\dfrac{1}{2}$.
  44. RaulTheUCSCSlug

    Delta T in Calorimetry always positive?

    For part number 5, it says to make sure that each ΔT is positive. Why is this? Couldn't it be a negative? Or does it have to be positive since if it wasn't you would be getting heat going in the wrong direction? Like the one substance would be gaining instead of losing the heat? Which would...
  45. bigsmile

    Positive and negative signs on Work

    Homework Statement An amount of work equal to 1.5 J is required to compress the spring in a spring gun. ? Homework Equations Wtotal = change of KE[/B] The Attempt at a Solution W=ΔKE=(1/2)m(Vf² - Vi²) It sounds like the Vf >0 and would be maximum after the spring is compressed hard and...
  46. TheMathNoob

    Positive feedbacks and negative feedbacks (global warming)

    Homework Statement Consider the feedback loop involving Clouds, Rainfall and forest area. All the relationships represented in this figure show positive couplings between the components: Forest area is positively coupled to rainfall, plant evapotranspiration is positively coupled to forest...
  47. C

    Positive Acceleration: Is Slowing Down in Negative Direction Considered?

    Hi, I was always told that positive acceleration means that an object is always speeding up. However, I am starting to question this. I know that if an object is speeding up in the positive direction, the acceleration is positive. However, if an object is slowing down in the negative direction...
  48. T

    Proving 2n ≤ 2^n for All Positive Integers n

    Homework Statement [/B] Show that the statement holds for all positive integers n 2n ≤ 2^n Homework Equations Axiom of induction: 1 ∈ S and k ∈ S ⇒ k + 1 ∈ S The Attempt at a Solution Let S be set of integers 2(1) ≤ 2^1, so S contains 1 k ∈ S, 2k ≤ 2^k I want to show k + 1 ∈ S, 2k +...
  49. gracy

    Potential difference: positive or negative?

    Why potential at a point can only be obtained by supposing/assuming a positive test charge there? For example There was a question In figure two points A and B are located in a region of electric field.,The potential difference ##VB##-##VA## is 1-positive 2-Negative 3-zero 4-none of the...
  50. anemone

    MHB Solve for positive integer solutions

    Find the positive integer numbers $a$ and $b$ such that $65(a^3b^3 + a^2 + b^2) = 81(ab^3 + 1)$.
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