Lambda Definition and 110 Threads

Lambda (; uppercase Λ, lowercase λ; Greek: λάμ(β)δα, lám(b)da) is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the sound /l/. In the system of Greek numerals lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoenician Lamed . Lambda gave rise to the Latin L and the Cyrillic El (Л). The ancient grammarians and dramatists give evidence to the pronunciation as [laːbdaː] (λάβδα) in Classical Greek times. In Modern Greek the name of the letter, Λάμδα, is pronounced [ˈlam.ða].
In early Greek alphabets, the shape and orientation of lambda varied. Most variants consisted of two straight strokes, one longer than the other, connected at their ends. The angle might be in the upper-left, lower-left ("Western" alphabets) or top ("Eastern" alphabets). Other variants had a vertical line with a horizontal or sloped stroke running to the right. With the general adoption of the Ionic alphabet, Greek settled on an angle at the top; the Romans put the angle at the lower-left.
The HTML 4 character entity references for the Greek capital and small letter lambda are Λ and λ respectively. The Unicode code points for lambda are U+039B and U+03BB.

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  1. marcus

    Lambda contibutes to bending (says Wolfgang Rindler)

    http://arxiv.org/abs/0709.2948 The Contribution of the Cosmological Constant to the Relativistic Bending of Light Revisited Wolfgang Rindler, Mustapha Ishak (The University of Texas at Dallas) 5 pages, 2 figures (Submitted on 19 Sep 2007) "We study the effect of the cosmological constant...
  2. marcus

    QMD running G and Lambda challenges Loop Gravity

    "QMD" running G and Lambda challenges Loop Gravity As I see it, and I may be missing the point entirely, this is a moment of opportunity and change for LQG and related researches. In brief, the story is that for several years Reuter has been saying that Newton's G and the cosmological Lambda...
  3. S

    Calculators Where can I find an online calculator for lambda calculus?

    Does anyone know of an online lambda calculator? Or actually I need an online calculator that allows the result to be used in the next calculation. Like the "Ans[wer]" key on some realworld calculators. It allows me to see for myself how for example the Cauchy series "1/Ans + Ans/2" converges...
  4. marcus

    Steinhardt Turok imitate Smolin (to get small Lambda)

    http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0605173 Steinhardt Turok, inventors of colliding brane cyclic ("ekpyrotic") universe, have followed Smolin's lead in proposing an EVOLUTIONARY MECHANISM that relaxes the cosmological constant down to near zero. It is not a "natural selection" mechanism with...
  5. G

    Is Lambda a True Force or Just a Distortion of Spacetime Like Gravity?

    Lambda (the cosmological constant) is frequently referred to as a sort of "negative gravity": instead of attractive it's repulsive, and instead of getting weaker with distance it gets stronger. However in General Relativity gravity is not regarded as a true force, but just as the...
  6. G

    Is Lambda a True Force or Merely a Geometric Distortion in Spacetime?

    Lambda (the cosmological constant) is frequently referred to as a sort of "negative gravity": instead of attractive it's repulsive, and instead of getting weaker with distance it gets stronger. However in General Relativity gravity is not regarded as a true force, but just as the...
  7. K

    Alexander paper - CP and lambda

    How about we start a thread on the Stephon Alexander paper, too. A Quantum Gravitational Relaxation of The Cosmological Constant Stephon Alexander 6 pages http://www.arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0503146 "Similar to QCD, general relativity has a $\Theta$ sector due to large diffeomorphisms. We...
  8. marcus

    The Planck Lambda (Baez question)

    Over in SPR John Baez asked what is the value of the cosmological constant (Lambda) expressed in Planck units. I posted a reply earlier today, but it contained a mistake ---what I posted on SPR around 10AM today--- I think the current estimate of Lambda in Planck units is 4.0 E-123...
  9. H

    Understanding Lambda Calculus and Its Role in Computer Science

    Hello, I have a simple question. When reducing a lambda expression what happens in this case: (L x.y) (L z.z) (L z.z) -> y (L z.z) right? How to interpret the variable y in front? Is that normal form, or can I reduce it to just: y Or is the expression ilegal? Thanks
  10. wolram

    Lambda interacts with gravity to give expantion

    it has been stated that lambda interacts with gravity to give expansion,can anyone give the" mechanics" of this interaction?
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