physical state
Let an agent explain physical state as a general concept, relay how state is defined in thermodynamics, dynamics, biology and computing from reference sources, describe macrostates and system states, and distinguish physical state from state of matter, from the everyday sense of condition and from the misfiled alias.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What physical state is.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a physical state, and how does it differ from state of matter and the everyday sense of condition? definition
- Is the question about thermodynamics, dynamics, biology, computing or a misfiled alias? boundary
Kinds
Kinds.
Kinds
Kinds.
- What are macrostates, dynamical system states, biological system states and global system states? definition
- Which entry fits the specific kind? action
Physics Physics.
Thermodynamics
Macrostates and microstates.
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics.
- How do macrostates relate to microstates and entropy? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Dynamics
Dynamical systems.
Dynamics
Dynamics.
- How is state defined in phase space, and how does it evolve? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Systems Other systems.
Biology
Biological systems.
Biology
Biology.
- How is the state of a biological system described in systems biology? provenance
- Which entry fits systems biology? action
Computing
Computer systems.
Computing
Computing.
- What is the global state of a distributed system, and why is it hard to capture? provenance
- Which entry fits distributed computing? action
Context Aliases and philosophy.
Airtightness
Building airtightness.
Airtightness
Airtightness.
- What is building airtightness, and where should it be covered? provenance
- Which entry fits building airtightness? action
Philosophy
Philosophy.
Philosophy
Philosophy.
- How do philosophers of science treat the concept of state? provenance
- Which entry fits philosophy of physics? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Cross-cutting context
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- XCT
- Domain
- XCT.STA
- Other names and narrower kinds
- born, building airtightness, macrostate, state of dynamical system, state of biological system, global system state
What it is Filled
The condition of a physical system at a given moment as described by its variables, from the macrostate of a thermodynamic system and the state of a dynamical system in phase space to the state of a biological system and the global state of a distributed computer system, and, in a loose registry sense, properties such as building airtightness; the registry alias born appears misfiled. Physical state is a general concept underlying thermodynamics, mechanics and systems theory.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain physical state as a general concept, relay how state is defined in thermodynamics, dynamics, biology and computing from reference sources, describe macrostates and system states, and distinguish physical state from state of matter, from the everyday sense of condition and from the misfiled alias.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Variable-defined
- Field-specific formalisms
- Macro and micro levels
- Time evolution
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Confuse a system's state with a state of matter such as solid or liquid.
- Apply one formalism, such as thermodynamic macrostates, to systems where it does not hold.
- Report the state of a system it has not observed or measured as if it had.
- Treat misfiled registry aliases as kinds of physical state.
Only with a human decision
- Acting on an inferred system state in a safety-critical control system.
May
- Explain what the state of a physical system means in thermodynamics, dynamics and computing.
- Name which formalism is meant when describing a state.
Moral aspects Filled
- Wrong state estimates in control systems can cause accidents.
- Loose use of the term can mislead students and readers.
Who is affected
- Students
- Operators of physical systems
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns the concept; it belongs to physics and systems science.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q3505845 - registry parent class
related
- state - in registry terms
- thermodynamic state - in thermodynamics
- phase space - for dynamical systems
- state of matter - the phase of a substance
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.physical-state
- Wikidata: Q230855 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230855)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
- macrostate: defined by macroscopic variables note
- phase space: positions and momenta note - dynamical systems
- airtightness: air changes per hour at 50 Pa note - building test
Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Condition of a system described by variables
- Macrostate, state of a dynamical system, state of a biological system, global system state, building airtightness
- State of matter is solid, liquid or gas; condition is informal; born is misfiled
- Not a visible object; a set of variable values.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain the concept
- relay definitions by field
- describe macrostates and system states
- distinguish related concepts
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Confusing state with state of matter
- Registry aliases mixing fields and a misfiled term
- Overgeneralising one formalism
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- No regulation; building airtightness standards such as ISO 9972 for that alias
Context of use required Filled
- Not applicable; a general concept.
- thermodynamic macrostates and microstates
- states of dynamical systems in phase space
- quantum states
- states of biological systems
- global states of distributed computer systems
- measured building states such as airtightness
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q230855: physical state - identity and sense of the item
- State (physics) - A physical system's state as a description of its properties at a given time.
- Thermodynamic state - The thermodynamic instance of physical state, specified by a system's macroscopic properties.
Open questions
- Should macrostate and global system state be separate primary entries?
- How should reference sources be linked?
- The registry aliases born and building airtightness appear misfiled; should they be moved?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q230855/spec.json