The 2004 Theorem Awards

[bloodhound]

This week we are rewarding the What People Think is The Most Used Theorem In the Whole Of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and obviously Mathematics.

 

Place your nominations NOW!!!. voting will commence on 1st of January!!

 

Current Nominees:-

 

1)Pythagoras's Theorem

2)Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

3)Chain Rule

 

 

Note: natural selection removed due to the fact that its not a theorem and general displeasure among the formites. If you want it back, you will have to put up a strong case for it

[Rakdos]

A^2+b^2=c^2

[JaKiri]

A^2+b^2=c^2

 

Pythagoras's Theorem.

 

And this is almost certainly the winner.

[Tesseract]

The theorem of natural selection.

[J'Dona]

Natural selection isn't a theorem, but rather a theory, since there's a difference between the two, so unless bloodhound allows it I don't think it counts.

 

Pythagoras's theorem will probably win, but I'll suggest the fundamental theorem of calculus (basically the statement that differentiation and integration are inverses of each other), since the relationship is used quite a lot and maybe more so than Pythagoras's theorem is in real life.

[bloodhound]

I think ill allow the natural selection, altough not technically a theorem , everyones heard of it, and probably quoted it once in a while

[bloodhound]

ill nominate chain rule. makes life easier .

 

Chain rule

 

Let [math]f\colon ]a,b[ \to \mathbb{R}[/math] and [math]f'(x) [/math] exist. Let [math]g[/math] be defined on the image of [math]f[/math] and differentiable at [math]f(x)[/math]. Then the composite function [math]G\colon ]a,b[ \to \mathbb{R}[/math] given by

 

[math]G(y)=g\circ f(y)=g(f(y))[/math] for all [math]y \in ]a,b[[/math], is differentiable at x and

 

[math]G'(x)=g'(f(x))f'(x)[/math]

 

quite a nice result.

[JaKiri]

The theorem of natural selection.

 

It's already been mentioned that it's not a theorem, so I'll leave that be, however that doesn't change the fact that it's not exactly in great use in anything but evolutionary theory (including evolutionary circuits).

[bloodhound]

any physicsy threorem would be welcome... so would some chemistry biology. ...

[Rakdos]

Pythagoras's Theorem.

 

And this is almost certainly the winner.

thanks i couldnt spell it

[Jordan14]

Pythorgoras definately the most used

[Tesseract]

Sorry I meant Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection.

[bloodhound]

i am not familiar with it. googled it. couldnt understand it. how widely is it used?

[JaKiri]

any physicsy threorem would be welcome... so would some chemistry biology. ...

 

There aren't any physics or chemistry theorems, by definition.

[bloodhound]

well, any sort of rule , "law" would be welcome then

[JaKiri]

I also disagree with the whole premise of the thread. You can't vote on something definite. It's like having a vote on what the value of pi is.

 

You CAN have a vote on what people think is the most used theorem in the sciences, however.

[CPL.Luke]

relativity? maybe

 

fairly wide usage I would say...

[bloodhound]

general or the special? i also dont know what they state. is it something along the lines of speed of light being the same in all frames