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For a function of n variables, the number of negative eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix at a critical point is called the index of the critical point. A non-degenerate critical point is a local maximum if and only if the index is n, or, equivalently, if the Hessian matrix is negative definite; it is a local minimum if the index is zero, or ...
The critical point is described by a conformal field theory. According to the renormalization group theory, the defining property of criticality is that the characteristic length scale of the structure of the physical system, also known as the correlation length ξ, becomes infinite. This can happen along critical lines in phase space.
Otherwise it is non-degenerate, and called a Morse critical point of . The Hessian matrix plays an important role in Morse theory and catastrophe theory, because its kernel and eigenvalues allow classification of the critical points. [2] [3] [4]
In thermodynamics, a critical point (or critical state) is the end point of a phase equilibrium curve. One example is the liquid–vapor critical point, the end point of the pressure–temperature curve that designates conditions under which a liquid and its vapor can coexist.
A less trivial example of a degenerate critical point is the origin of the monkey saddle. The index of a non-degenerate critical point of is the dimension of the largest subspace of the tangent space to at on which the Hessian is negative definite.
In quantum physics and quantum chemistry, an avoided crossing (AC, sometimes called intended crossing, [1] non-crossing or anticrossing) is the phenomenon where two eigenvalues of a Hermitian matrix representing a quantum observable and depending on continuous real parameters cannot become equal in value ("cross") except on a manifold of dimension . [2]
Critical mass, referring to criticality in nuclear physics, when a nuclear reactor's fissionable material can sustain a chain reaction by itself; Criticality (status), a milestone in the commissioning of a nuclear power plant; Criticality accident, an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction
The second statement is that when f is a Morse function, so that the singular points of f are non-degenerate and isolated, then the question can be reduced to the case n = 1. In fact, then, a choice of g can be made to split the integral into cases with just one critical point P in each.