gjphw@iham1.UUCP (01/22/85)
In these discussions concerning nonlinear phenomena, I have been puzzled by the association between nonlinear and non-local. For example, it is my understanding that phenomena such as solitons, which are waves in nonlinear media, are quite localized. Conversely, the spatial extent of a particle wavefunction, which leads to the Aspect experiment that refutes hidden variable theories, arises from a linear Schroedinger equation. In other words, it does not appear that nonlinear phenomena are necessarily non-local, and non-local phenomena are not necessary nonlinear in origin. Or, have I missed this issue entirely? Another example of nonlinear phenomena occurs in systems with memory (which might be considered non-local in time). This is better known as hysteresis (e.g., magnetization in iron). -- Patrick Wyant AT&T Bell Laboratories (Naperville, IL) *!iham1!gjphw