A Conceptual History of Space and Symmetry

A Conceptual History of Space and Symmetry
Author: Pietro Giuseppe Fré
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2018-09-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319980238

This book presents the author’s personal historical perspective and conceptual analysis on symmetry and geometry. The author enlightens with modern views the historical process which led to the contemporary vision of space and symmetry that are used in theoretical physics and in particular in such abstract and advanced descriptions of the physical world as those provided by supergravity. The book is written intertwining storytelling and philosophical argumentation with some essential technical material. The author argues that symmetry and geometry are inextricably entangled and their current meaning is the result of a long process of abstraction which was determined through history and can be understood within the analytic system of thought of western civilization that started with the Ancient Greeks. The evolution of geometry and symmetry theory in the last forty years has been deeply and constructively influenced by supersymmetry/supergravity and the allied constructions of strings and branes. Further advances in theoretical physics cannot be based simply on the Galilean method of interrogating nature and then formulating a testable theory to explain the observed phenomena. One ought to interrogate human thought, meaning frontier-line mathematics concerned with geometry and symmetry in order to find there the threads of so far unobserved correspondences, reinterpretations and renewed conceptions.

Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe

Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe
Author: Leon M. Lederman
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Total Pages: 363
Release: 2011-11-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1615920412

When scientists peer through a telescope at the distant stars in outer space or use a particle-accelerator to analyze the smallest components of matter, they discover that the same laws of physics govern the whole universe at all times and all places. Physicists call the eternal, ubiquitous constancy of the laws of physics symmetry. Symmetry is the basic underlying principle that defines the laws of nature and hence controls the universe. This all-important insight is one of the great conceptual breakthroughs in modern physics and is the basis of contemporary efforts to discover a grand unified theory to explain all the laws of physics. Nobel Laureate Leon M. Lederman and physicist Christopher T. Hill explain the supremely elegant concept of symmetry and all its profound ramifications to life on Earth and the universe at large in this eloquent, accessible popular science book. They not only clearly describe concepts normally reserved only for physicists and mathematicians, but they also instill an appreciation for the profound beauty of the universe’s inherent design. Central to the story of symmetry is an obscure, unpretentious, but extremely gifted German mathematician named Emmy Noether. Though still little known to the world, she impressed no less a scientist than Albert Einstein, who praised her "penetrating mathematical thinking." In some of her earliest work she proved that the law of the conservation of energy was connected to the idea of symmetry and thus laid the mathematical groundwork for what may be the most important concept of modern physics. Lederman and Hill reveal concepts about the universe, based on Noether’s work, that are largely unknown to the public and have wide-reaching implications in connection with the Big Bang, Einstein’s theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and many other areas of physics. Through ingenious analogies and illustrations, they bring these astounding notions to life. This book will open your eyes to a universe you never knew existed.

Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe

Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe
Author: Brian Clegg
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2021-09-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0262542862

How patterns--from diagrams of spacetime to particle trails revealed by supercolliders--offer clues to the fundamental workings of the physical world. Our universe might appear chaotic, but deep down it's simply a myriad of rules working independently to create patterns of action, force, and consequence. In Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe, Brian Clegg explores the phenomena that make up the very fabric of our world by examining ten essential sequenced systems. From diagrams that show the deep relationships between space and time to the quantum behaviors that rule the way that matter and light interact, Clegg shows how these patterns provide a unique view of the physical world and its fundamental workings. Guiding readers on a tour of our world and the universe beyond, Clegg describes the cosmic microwave background, sometimes called the "echo of the big bang," and how it offers clues to the universe's beginnings; the diagrams that illustrate Einstein's revelation of the intertwined nature of space and time; the particle trail patterns revealed by the Large Hadron Collider and other accelerators; and the simple-looking patterns that predict quantum behavior (and decorated Richard Feynman's van). Clegg explains how the periodic table reflects the underlying pattern of the configuration of atoms, discusses the power of the number line, demonstrates the explanatory uses of tree diagrams, and more.

Noether Symmetries in Theories of Gravity

Noether Symmetries in Theories of Gravity
Author: Francesco Bajardi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 452
Release: 2022-11-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 100920873X

This volume summarizes the many alternatives and extensions to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, and shows how symmetry principles can be applied to identify physically viable models. The first part of the book establishes the foundations of classical field theory, providing an introduction to symmetry groups and the Noether theorems. A quick overview of general relativity is provided, including discussion of its successes and shortcomings, then several theories of gravity are presented and their main features are summarized. In the second part, the 'Noether Symmetry Approach' is applied to theories of gravity to identify those which contain symmetries. In the third part of the book these selected models are tested through comparison with the latest experiments and observations. This constrains the free parameters in the selected models to fit the current data, demonstrating a useful approach that will allow researchers to construct and constrain modified gravity models for further applications.

The Symmetry Norm and the Asymmetric Universe

The Symmetry Norm and the Asymmetric Universe
Author: Michael Selzer
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2017-02-23
Genre:
ISBN: 9781544105611

The concept of symmetry (as in shapes whose left and right halves mirror each other) did not originate in the Classical world, as is often supposed, but in Italy at the beginning of the Renaissance. From the outset it was associated with the belief that Nature's forms are symmetric and that nothing can be beautiful unless it too has a symmetric shape. Michael Selzer calls this the symmetry norm. The symmetry norm was soon adopted throughout western Europe. It literally changed the face of the continent, for its advocates not only demanded that all new buildings henceforth be symmetric, but that important medieval churches and other public buildings be given new, symmetric facades. The free-flowing and visually-complex textures of the medieval hortus conclusus too were replaced by the stiff, symmetric and instantly comprehended forms of the Renaissance garden. Since the Renaissance the authority and scope of the symmetry norm have continued to be enlarged. It is now a byword among archaeologists that Greek temples are symmetric; among physicists that crystals, including snowflakes are symmetric; among anthropologists that the art of primitive peoples everywhere has always been symmetric; and among psychologists that humans find symmetric shapes more attractive than asymmetric ones. The Symmetry Norm and the Asymmetric Universe is an important and original contribution to an understanding of the origins, persistence and consequences of the fallacies that have preserved the symmetry norm in full vigor for over five hundred years

The Discovery of Dynamics

The Discovery of Dynamics
Author: Julian B. Barbour
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 784
Release: 2001-09-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 019028515X

Ever since Newton created dynamics, there has been controversy about its foundations. Are space and time absolute? Do they form a rigid but invisible framework and container of the universe? Or are space, time, and motion relative? If so, does Newton's 'framework' arise through the influence of the universe at large, as Ernst Mach suggested? Einstein's aim when creating his general theory of relativity was to demonstrate this and thereby implement 'Mach's Principle'. However, it is widely believed that he achieved only partial success. This question of whether motion is absolute or relative has been a central issues in philosophy; the nature of time has perennial interest. Current attempts to create a quantum description of the whole universe keep these issues at the cutting edge of modern research. Written by the world's leading expert on Mach's Principle, The Discovery of Dynamics is a highly original account of the development of notions about space, time, and motion. Widely praised in its hardback version, it is one of the fullest and most readable accounts of the astronomical studies that culminated in Kepler's laws of planetary motion and of the creation of dynamics by Galileo, Descartes, Huygens, and Newton. Originally published as Absolute or Relative Motion?, Vol. 1: The Discovery of Dynamics (Cambridge), The Discovery of Dynamics provides the technical background to Barbour's recently published The End of Time, in which he argues that time disappears from the description of the quantum universe.

Philosophy of Physics

Philosophy of Physics
Author: David Wallace
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2021
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0198814321

Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. This book explores the core topics in philosophy of physics, and discusses their relevance for both scientists and philosophers.

Discrete, Finite and Lie Groups

Discrete, Finite and Lie Groups
Author: Pietro Giuseppe Fré
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 530
Release: 2023-08-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3111201538

In a self contained and exhaustive work the author covers Group Theory in its multifaceted aspects, treating its conceptual foundations in a proper logical order. First discrete and finite group theory, that includes the entire chemical-physical field of crystallography is developed self consistently, followed by the structural theory of Lie Algebras with a complete exposition of the roots and Dynkin diagrams lore. A primary on Fibre-Bundles, Connections and Gauge fields, Riemannian Geometry and the theory of Homogeneous Spaces G/H is also included and systematically developed.

The First Law of Mechanics in General Relativity & Isochrone Orbits in Newtonian Gravity

The First Law of Mechanics in General Relativity & Isochrone Orbits in Newtonian Gravity
Author: Paul Ramond
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2023-06-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3031179641

The thesis tackles two distinct problems of great interest in gravitational mechanics — one relativistic and one Newtonian. The relativistic one is concerned with the "first law of binary mechanics", a remarkably simple variational relation that plays a crucial role in the modern understanding of the gravitational two-body problem, thereby contributing to the effort to detect gravitational-wave signals from binary systems of black holes and neutron stars. The work reported in the thesis provides a mathematically elegant extension of previous results to compact objects that carry spin angular momentum and quadrupolar deformations, which more accurately represent astrophysical bodies than mere point particles. The Newtonian problem is concerned with the isochrone problem of celestial mechanics, namely the determination of the set of radial potentials whose bounded orbits have a radial period independent of the angular momentum. The thesis solves this problem completely in a geometrical way and explores its consequence on a variety of levels, in particular with a complete characterisation of isochrone orbits. The thesis is exceptional in the breadth of its scope and achievements. It is clearly and eloquently written, makes excellent use of images, provides careful explanations of the concepts and calculations, and it conveys the author’s personality in a way that is rare in scientific writing, while never sacrificing academic rigor.

Einstein Himself

Einstein Himself
Author: Anthony McAuliffe
Publisher: Anthony McAuliffe
Total Pages: 662
Release:
Genre: History
ISBN: 0645804207

A more critical look at the man known today by most as one of the greatest scientists of all time. A unique and thought-provoking narrative quite at odds with the generally-accepted dogma. How exactly did Einstein rise to become so revered today? This is also the story of Mileva Maric, a little-known woman who just so happened to be Einstein’s first wife. When Einstein presented his famous ‘Annus Mirabilis’ or ‘Wonder Year’ papers in 1905, Mileva was of equal training in the fields of mathematics and physics and indeed, more accomplished than Einstein in many other disciplines. “He seems more an intuitive physicist,” stated Chaim Weizmann, a promoter of Einstein. “He is not an experimental physicist and though he is able to detect fallacies in the conceptions of physical science, he must turn his general outlines of theory over to someone else to work out.” Historians report that Einstein collaborated with other scientists from 1907. In 1905, there was Mileva.