Re: equipotentials

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

"Do they cross? I guess that depends on your
point of view, ..."


I think the physicist's answer has been given.  How would a
mathematician answer?

Another thought:  Extend HH's example with, below the contact the earth
has been hollowed.  e.g. two adjacent mesas in contact only part way
up.  I suspect a mathematician would have something to say about this
contact.

bc, who has some fuzzy thoughts about differentiability, well behaved, etc.



Hugh Haskell wrote:

> At 15:36 -0800 2/20/04, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
>
>
> > Can contour lines on a contour map cross?
> Certainly not ones representing different elevations, but consider
> this scenario: Two adjacent hills have a saddle ridge between them.
> Then the contour lines surrounding each hill that at the level that
> matches the elevation of the lowest point on the ridge line will
> touch at that point. Do they cross? I guess that depends on your
> point of view, but they certainly come together without violating any
> logical requirements.
>
> Hugh
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>
> Hugh Haskell
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