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Symmetries in fundamental physics / Kurt Sundermeyer.

By: Material type: TextTextSeries: Fundamental theories of physics ; v 176Publication details: New York : Springer, 2014.Description: xxviii, 763 p. : illISBN:
  • 9789400776418
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 23 Su958
Contents:
Preface.- Notation.- Introduction.- Symmetry: Argument, Principle, and Leitmotif.- Operations and Invariants.- "Symmetries" in "Fundamental Physics".- The Scope of Symmetries.- Bibliographical Notes.- Classical Mechanics.- Newtonian and Analytical Mechanics.- Symmetries and Conservation Laws.- Galilei Group.- Electrodynamics and Special Relativity.- Electrodynamics a la Maxwell.- Special Relativity.- Noether Theorems.- Poincare Transformations.- Generalizations of Poincare Symmetry.- On the Validity of Special Relativity.- Quantum Mechanics.- Principles of Quantum Mechanics.- Symmetry Transformations in Quantum Mechanics.- Quantum Physics and Group Representation.- Relativistic Field Theory.- Representations of the Poincare Group.- Symmetry and Quantum Field Theory.- Actions.- Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking.- Discrete Symmetries.- Effective field theories.- Particle Physics.- Particles and Interactions.- Strong Interactions.- Weak and Electromagnetic Interaction.- Paralipomena on the Standard Model.- General Relativity and Gravitation.- Introductory Remarks.- Equivalence Principle.- Riemann-Cartan Geometry.- Physics in Curved Spacetime.- Geometrodynamics.- Modifications and Extensions of/to General Relativity.- Unified Field Theories.- Grand Unified Theories.- Kaluza-Klein Theory.- Supersymmetry.- Further Speculations.- Conclusion.- Symmetries: The Road to Reality.- Are Symmetries a Principle of Nature?.- Physics Beyond Symmetries.- Appendices.- A Group Theory.- B Spinors, Z2-gradings, and Supergeometry.- C Symmetries and Constrained Dynamics.- D Symmetries in Path-Integral and BRST Quantization.- E Differential Geometry.- F Symmetries in Terms of Differential Forms.- Bibliography.
Summary: "Over the course of the last century it has become clear that both elementary particle physics and relativity theories are based on the notion of symmetries. These symmetries become manifest in that the 'laws of nature' are invariant under spacetime transformations and/or gauge transformations. The consequences of these symmetries were analyzed as early as in 1918 by Emmy Noether on the level of action functionals. Her work did not receive due recognition for nearly half a century, but can today be understood as a recurring theme in classical mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity, Yang-Mills type quantum field theories, and in general relativity. As a matter of fact, as shown in this monograph, many aspects of physics can be derived solely from symmetry considerations"--Provided by publisher.
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Includes bibliographical reference and index.

Preface.- Notation.- Introduction.- Symmetry: Argument, Principle, and Leitmotif.- Operations and Invariants.- "Symmetries" in "Fundamental Physics".- The Scope of Symmetries.- Bibliographical Notes.- Classical Mechanics.- Newtonian and Analytical Mechanics.- Symmetries and Conservation Laws.- Galilei Group.- Electrodynamics and Special Relativity.- Electrodynamics a la Maxwell.- Special Relativity.- Noether Theorems.- Poincare Transformations.- Generalizations of Poincare Symmetry.- On the Validity of Special Relativity.- Quantum Mechanics.- Principles of Quantum Mechanics.- Symmetry Transformations in Quantum Mechanics.- Quantum Physics and Group Representation.- Relativistic Field Theory.- Representations of the Poincare Group.- Symmetry and Quantum Field Theory.- Actions.- Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking.- Discrete Symmetries.- Effective field theories.- Particle Physics.- Particles and Interactions.- Strong Interactions.- Weak and Electromagnetic Interaction.- Paralipomena on the Standard Model.- General Relativity and Gravitation.- Introductory Remarks.- Equivalence Principle.- Riemann-Cartan Geometry.- Physics in Curved Spacetime.- Geometrodynamics.- Modifications and Extensions of/to General Relativity.- Unified Field Theories.- Grand Unified Theories.- Kaluza-Klein Theory.- Supersymmetry.- Further Speculations.- Conclusion.- Symmetries: The Road to Reality.- Are Symmetries a Principle of Nature?.- Physics Beyond Symmetries.- Appendices.- A Group Theory.- B Spinors, Z2-gradings, and Supergeometry.- C Symmetries and Constrained Dynamics.- D Symmetries in Path-Integral and BRST Quantization.- E Differential Geometry.- F Symmetries in Terms of Differential Forms.- Bibliography.

"Over the course of the last century it has become clear that both elementary particle physics and relativity theories are based on the notion of symmetries. These symmetries become manifest in that the 'laws of nature' are invariant under spacetime transformations and/or gauge transformations. The consequences of these symmetries were analyzed as early as in 1918 by Emmy Noether on the level of action functionals. Her work did not receive due recognition for nearly half a century, but can today be understood as a recurring theme in classical mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity, Yang-Mills type quantum field theories, and in general relativity. As a matter of fact, as shown in this monograph, many aspects of physics can be derived solely from symmetry considerations"--Provided by publisher.

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