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Equation 6 · Part 1 · The Atlas That Refuses to Close

Symbol R_N

RN\mathbf R_N
RNR_N

What this part means

RNR_N is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

Its job in the formula

RNR_N is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

The passage around this formula

Start with the least controversial position anyone has ever assigned to an extended body: the Newtonian, mass-weighted centroid, RN\mathbf R_N = ∑a\sum_a mam_a ra\mathbf r_a / ∑a\sum_a mam_a , a sum over the body’s constituent mass elements mam_a at positions ra\mathbf r_a , evaluated at one common instant. That last clause is doing all the work relativity is about to object to. “One common instant” means one value of a time coordinate t shared by…

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Learn the underlying idea

A subscript is a label attached below a symbol. It often selects a time step, component, category, or member of a sequence.

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Sources cited in the article section

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