The Philosophy and Physics of Noether's Theorems PDF Download

Author: James Read
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108786812
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
In 1918, Emmy Noether, in her paper Invariante Variationsprobleme, proved two theorems (and their converses) on variational problems that went on to revolutionise theoretical physics. 100 years later, the mathematics of Noether's theorems continues to be generalised, and the physical applications of her results continue to diversify. This centenary volume brings together world-leading historians, philosophers, physicists, and mathematicians in order to clarify the historical context of this work, its foundational and philosophical consequences, and its myriad physical applications. Suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional researchers, this is a go-to resource for those wishing to understand Noether's work on variational problems and the profound applications which it finds in contemporary physics.

Author: James Read
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108486231
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 387

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Book Description
A centenary volume that celebrates, extends and applies Noether's 1918 theorems with contributions from world-leading researchers.

Author: Yvette Kosmann-Schwarzbach
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387878688
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
In 1915 and 1916 Emmy Noether was asked by Felix Klein and David Hilbert to assist them in understanding issues involved in any attempt to formulate a general theory of relativity, in particular the new ideas of Einstein. She was consulted particularly over the difficult issue of the form a law of conservation of energy could take in the new theory, and she succeeded brilliantly, finding two deep theorems. But between 1916 and 1950, the theorem was poorly understood and Noether's name disappeared almost entirely. People like Klein and Einstein did little more then mention her name in the various popular or historical accounts they wrote. Worse, earlier attempts which had been eclipsed by Noether's achievements were remembered, and sometimes figure in quick historical accounts of the time. This book carries a translation of Noether's original paper into English, and then describes the strange history of its reception and the responses to her work. Ultimately the theorems became decisive in a shift from basing fundamental physics on conservations laws to basing it on symmetries, or at the very least, in thoroughly explaining the connection between these two families of ideas. The real significance of this book is that it shows very clearly how long it took before mathematicians and physicists began to recognize the seminal importance of Noether's results. This book is thoroughly researched and provides careful documentation of the textbook literature. Kosmann-Schwarzbach has thus thrown considerable light on this slow dance in which the mathematical tools necessary to study symmetry properties and conservation laws were apparently provided long before the orchestra arrives and the party begins.

Author: Dwight E. Neuenschwander
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421422670
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
"Dwight E. Neuenschwander's introduction to the theorem's genesis, applications, and consequences artfully unpacks its universal importance and unsurpassed elegance. Drawing from over thirty years of teaching the subject, Neuenschwander uses mechanics, optics, geometry, and field theory to point the way to a deep understanding of Noether's Theorem. The three sections provide a step-by-step, simple approach to the less-complex concepts surrounding the theorem, in turn instilling the knowledge and confidence needed to grasp the full wonder it encompasses. Illustrations and worked examples throughout each chapter serve as signposts on the way to this apex of physics."--Publisher's description.

Author: Gennadi Sardanashvily
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9462391718
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
The book provides a detailed exposition of the calculus of variations on fibre bundles and graded manifolds. It presents applications in such area's as non-relativistic mechanics, gauge theory, gravitation theory and topological field theory with emphasis on energy and energy-momentum conservation laws. Within this general context the first and second Noether theorems are treated in the very general setting of reducible degenerate graded Lagrangian theory.

Author: Yvette Kosmann-Schwarzbach
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Calculus of variations
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
In 1915 and 1916 Emmy Noether was asked by Felix Klein and David Hilbert to assist them in understanding issues involved in any attempt to formulate a general theory of relativity, in particular the new ideas of Einstein. She was consulted particularly over the difficult issue of the form a law of conservation of energy could take in the new theory, and she succeeded brilliantly, finding two deep theorems. But between 1916 and 1950, the theorem was poorly understood and Noether's name disappeared almost entirely. People like Klein and Einstein did little more then mention her name in the vario.

Author: Mina Teicher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Algebra
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description
Named for the noted mathematician, the Emmy Noether Research Institute for Mathematics held a two-day conference dedicated to her heritage and her influence on mathematics and physics in the 20th and 21st centuries. This volume presents the proceedings of that conference. It includes a comprehensive description of Noether's contributions to commutative and noncommutative algebra, algebraic geometry, topology, and physics given by world experts in these fields. Also included is a profile of her life. The volume is a comprehensive collection of Noether's valuable contributions to mathematics and physics.

Author: Robert Batterman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195392043
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 701

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Book Description
This Oxford Handbook provides an overview of many of the topics that currently engage philosophers of physics. It surveys new issues and the problems that have become a focus of attention in recent years. It also provides up-to-date discussions of the still very important problems that dominated the field in the past. In the late 20th Century, the philosophy of physics was largely focused on orthodox Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Theory. The measurement problem, the question of the possibility of hidden variables, and the nature of quantum locality dominated the literature on the quantum mechanics, whereas questions about relationalism vs. substantivalism, and issues about underdetermination of theories dominated the literature on spacetime. These issues still receive considerable attention from philosophers, but many have shifted their attentions to other questions related to quantum mechanics and to spacetime theories. Quantum field theory has become a major focus, particularly from the point of view of algebraic foundations. Concurrent with these trends, there has been a focus on understanding gauge invariance and symmetries. The philosophy of physics has evolved even further in recent years with attention being paid to theories that, for the most part, were largely ignored in the past. For example, the relationship between thermodynamics and statistical mechanics—-once thought to be a paradigm instance of unproblematic theory reduction—-is now a hotly debated topic. The implicit, and sometimes explicit, reductionist methodology of both philosophers and physicists has been severely criticized and attention has now turned to the explanatory and descriptive roles of "non-fundamental,'' phenomenological theories. This shift of attention includes "old'' theories such as classical mechanics, once deemed to be of little philosophical interest. Furthermore, some philosophers have become more interested in "less fundamental'' contemporary physics such as condensed matter theory. Questions abound with implications for the nature of models, idealizations, and explanation in physics. This Handbook showcases all these aspects of this complex and dynamic discipline.

Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080466656
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 1522

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Book Description
The ambition of this volume is twofold: to provide a comprehensive overview of the field and to serve as an indispensable reference work for anyone who wants to work in it. For example, any philosopher who hopes to make a contribution to the topic of the classical-quantum correspondence will have to begin by consulting Klaas Landsman’s chapter. The organization of this volume, as well as the choice of topics, is based on the conviction that the important problems in the philosophy of physics arise from studying the foundations of the fundamental theories of physics. It follows that there is no sharp line to be drawn between philosophy of physics and physics itself. Some of the best work in the philosophy of physics is being done by physicists, as witnessed by the fact that several of the contributors to the volume are theoretical physicists: viz., Ellis, Emch, Harvey, Landsman, Rovelli, ‘t Hooft, the last of whom is a Nobel laureate. Key features - Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics - Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics - Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics - Covers the new sciences grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory - Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism - Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers - Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics - Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics - Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics - Covers the new sciences that have grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory - Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism - Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers

Author: Philipp Berghofer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009197312
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
Gauge symmetries play a central role, both in the mathematical foundations as well as the conceptual construction of modern (particle) physics theories. However, it is yet unclear whether they form a necessary component of theories, or whether they can be eliminated. It is also unclear whether they are merely an auxiliary tool to simplify (and possibly localize) calculations or whether they contain independent information. Therefore their status, both in physics and philosophy of physics, remains to be fully clarified. This Element reviews the current state of affairs on both the philosophy and the physics side. In particular, it focuses on the circumstances in which the restriction of gauge theories to gauge invariant information on an observable level is warranted, using the Brout-Englert-Higgs theory as an example of particular current importance. Finally, the authors determine a set of yet to be answered questions to clarify the status of gauge symmetries.