A Wisdom Archive on Equilibria

In physical chemistry, chemical kinetics or reaction kinetics study reaction rates in a chemical reaction. Analysing the influence of different reaction conditions on the reaction rate gives information about the reaction mechanism and the transition state of a chemical reaction. Peter Waage developed the law of mass action in 1864 that stated for the first time that the speed of a chemical reaction is proportional to the quantity of the reacting substances. Chemical kinetics - Rate of reaction. Kine ... Including:

• Chemical kinetics - Rate of reaction
• Chemical kinetics - Factors that influence the rate of a reaction
• Chemical kinetics - Concentration
• Chemical kinetics - Physical state
• Chemical kinetics - Temperature
• Chemical kinetics - Catalysts
• Chemical kinetics - Equilibria
• Chemical kinetics - Enthalpy

Read more here: » Chemical kinetics: Encyclopedia - Chemical kinetics

Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald (commonly just Wilhelm Ostwald) (September 2, 1853 - April 4, 1932) was a German chemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities. Wilhelm Ostwald - Biography. He was born in Riga (at that time Russia, today Latvia), as the son of master-cooper Gottfried Wilhelm Ostwald and Elisabeth Leuckel. He was ethnically a Baltic German. He graduated from the University of Tartu in 1875, then taught ... Including:

• Wilhelm Ostwald - Biography
• Wilhelm Ostwald - Publications

Read more here: » Wilhelm Ostwald: Encyclopedia - Wilhelm Ostwald

Until 3,000 years ago, all religions were pantheistic and polytheistic as Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto still are. They tolerated the religions of other tribes and cultures, recognising in their worship the same divine energies as their own, albeit with different names.
 
Why then did patriarchal, monotheistic religions arise in the Middle East 3,000 years ago, and spread in their Christian forms throughout Europe and then on to the European colonised overseas territories during the last 1,500 years? Why did these monotheistic religions fight so fiercely to eradicate nature worship in the lands they controlled? Why did Christianity promote a dualistic antagonism between the spirit and the flesh, with only the former conceived as being in the "image of God"?

 
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Cosmic Balance and World Peace

In game theory, backward induction is one of dynamic programming algorithms used to compute subgame perfect equilibria in sequential games. The process proceeds by first looking at the last possible action, determine what the last player will do in each situation (i.e. information set). Using this information, one can then determine what the second to last player will do. This process continues until one determines all possible actions. Backward induction - Example of backward induction. Consider th ... Including:

• Backward induction - Example of backward induction
• Backward induction - Backward induction and economic entry
• Backward induction - A paradox of backward induction

Read more here: » Backward induction: Encyclopedia - Backward induction

The coordination game is a classic (symmetric) two player, two strategy game, with payoff matrix as follows: where A>C and D>B. Rational players will thus cooperate on either of the two strategies to receive a high payoff. Players in the game must agree on one of the two strategies in order to receive a high payoff. If the players do not agree, they receive a lower payoff. Coordination game - Examples. Consider a new product where two technologies are available to two firms with c ... Including:

• Coordination game - Examples
• Coordination game - Coordination and equilibrium selection
• Coordination game - Other coordination games

Read more here: » Coordination game: Encyclopedia - Coordination game

Biological thermodynamics (Greek: bios = life and logikos = reason + Greek: thermos = heat and dynamics = power) is the study of energy transformation in the biological sciences. More definitively, biological thermodynamics may be defined as the quantitative study of the energy transductions that occur in and between living organisms, structures, and cells and of the nature and fu ... Including:

• Biological thermodynamics - Sources

Read more here: » Biological thermodynamics: Encyclopedia - Biological thermodynamics

Calculus of variations is a field of mathematics which deals with functions of functions, as opposed to ordinary calculus which deals with functions of numbers. Such functionals can for example be formed as integrals involving an unknown function and its derivatives. The interest is in extremal functions: those making the functional attain a maximum or minimum value. Some classical problems on curves were posed in this form: one example is the brachistochrone, the path along which a particle would descend under gravity i ... Including:

• Calculus of variations - Reference books

Read more here: » Calculus of variations: Encyclopedia - Calculus of variations

The Calvin cycle (or Calvin-Benson cycle) is a series of biochemical reactions that takes place in the chloroplasts of photosynthetic organisms. It was discovered by Melvin Calvin and Andrew Benson at the University of California, Berkeley. James Bassham also made important contributions to elucidating this pathway. It is one of the light-independent reactions and occurs in the stroma. During photosynthesis, light energy is used to generate chemical free energy, stored in ATP and NADPH. The light-independent Calvin ("dar ...

Read more here: » Calvin cycle: Encyclopedia - Calvin cycle

Instinct is the inherent disposition of a living organism toward a particular action. Instincts are generally inherited patterns of responses or reactions to certain kinds of stimuli. In humans they are most easily observed in behaviors such as emotions, sexual drive, and other bodily functions, as these are largely biologically determined. Instinct provides a response to external stimuli, which moves an organism to action, unless overriden by intelligence, which is creative and hence far more versatile. Since instincts take generatio ... Including:

• Instinct - Overview
• Instinct - Evolution
• Instinct - Instincts in humans

Read more here: » Instinct: Encyclopedia - Instinct

The Lotka-Volterra equations, also known as the predator-prey equations, are a pair of first order, non-linear, differential equations frequently used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact, one a predator and one its prey. They were proposed independently by Alfred J. Lotka in 1925 and Vito Volterra in 1926. A classic model using the equations is of the population dynamics of the lynx and the snowshoe hare, popularised due to the extensive data collected on the relative populations of the ... Including:

• Lotka-Volterra equation - The equations
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Physical meanings of the equations
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Prey
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Predators
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Solutions to the equations
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Dynamics of the system
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Population equilibrium
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Stability of the fixed points
• Lotka-Volterra equation - Bibliography

Read more here: » Lotka-Volterra equation: Encyclopedia - Lotka-Volterra equation

In mathematics, catastrophe theory is a branch of bifurcation theory in the study of dynamical systems; it is also a particular special case of more general singularity theory in geometry. Bifurcation theory studies and classifies phenomena characterized by sudden shifts in behavior arising from small changes in circumstances, analysing how the qualitative nature of equation solutions depends on the parameters that appear in the equation. This may lead to sudden and dramatic changes, for examp ... Including:

• Catastrophe theory - Elementary catastrophes
• Catastrophe theory - Potential functions of one active variable
• Catastrophe theory - Fold catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Cusp catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Swallowtail catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Butterfly catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Potential functions of two active variables
• Catastrophe theory - Hyperbolic umbilic catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Elliptic umbilic catastrophe
• Catastrophe theory - Parabolic umbilic catastrophe

Read more here: » Catastrophe theory: Encyclopedia - Catastrophe theory