Thomson problem

proper noun

The problem of determining the minimum electrostatic potential energy configuration of a given number of electrons constrained to the surface of a unit sphere that repel each other with a force given by Coulomb's law.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Thomson problem
  1. The problem of determining the minimum electrostatic potential energy configuration of a given number of electrons constrained to the surface of a unit sphere that repel each other with a force given by Coulomb's law.

Origin

The physicist J. J. Thomson posed the problem in 1904.

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Cite this entry
APA

Thomson problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson%20problem

MLA

“Thomson problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson%20problem. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Thomson problem,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson%20problem.

Source: Thomson problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.