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From: djh@hawkeye.osc.edu (David Heisterberg)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: EFLOP architectures: when and for how much?
Message-ID: <1070@sunc.osc.edu>
Date: 29 Oct 90 13:42:26 GMT
References: <2588@ux.acs.umn.edu>
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In article <2588@ux.acs.umn.edu> dhoyt@vx.acs.umn.edu writes:
>                                         The achiral nature of ammonia
>chemistry is a  simple proof of this.  (If electrons were truely classical (or
>relativistic) one would expect ammonia to be pyramid shapped, and thus show 
>handed or chiral geometry, which would show up as sterospecificy.  Ammonia
>chemistry does not show sterospecificy, thus is achiral, thus not pyrimid
>shaped, but rather planar.)

This doesn't really have anything to do with computer architecture, but
your ammonia analysis is wholly incorrect.  The ground state of ammonia
is pyramidal.  It has C3v symmetry so of course there's no optical activity.
It also has a fairly low inversion barrier, as do some umbrellas - the
macroscopic analog.  Further, relativity certainly need not be considered
explicitly for ammonia.

Well, one could say it is because of high performance computer architectures
that one is able to do detailed quantum calculations to determine ammonia's
geometric and electronic structure.
--
David J. Heisterberg		djh@osc.edu		And you all know
The Ohio Supercomputer Center	djh@ohstpy.bitnet	security Is mortals'
Columbus, Ohio  43212		ohstpy::djh		chiefest enemy.