IGOR HERBUT, Simon Fraser University
QUANTUM NUMBERS OF TOPOLOGICAL DEFECTS AND REAL CLIFFORD ALGEBRAS IN DIRAC SYSTEMS
Monday, January 21 2013, at 17:00
Università di Milano, Dipartimento di Matematica | |
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JAMES ROBINSON, Warwick University
INTERPOLATION AND LADYZHENSKAYA INEQUALITY IN A COUPLED ELLIPITIC-PARABOLIC PROBLEM
Tuesday, November 27 2012, at 17:00
Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Matematica | |
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STEFANO OLLA, Ceremade, Université Paris Dauphine
DALLA DINAMICA ALLA TERMODINAMICA: E' POSSIBILE UNA DEDUZIONE MATEMATICA PRECISA?
Monday, November 26 2012, at 15:00
Università di Milano, Dipartimento di Matematica, Via Saldini | |
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ENRICO VALDINOCI, Università di Milano
A FRACTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PERIMETERS AND PHASE TRANSITIONS
Monday, November 05 2012, at 17:00
Dipartimento di Matematica del Politecnico, Aula Consiglio | |
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THOMAS SPENCER, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
SYMMETRY, STATISTICAL MECHANICS AND RANDOM MATRICES
Monday, October 15 2012, at 16:30
Università di Milano, Dipartimento di Matematica, Via Saldini | |
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WALTER NOLL, Carnegie Mellon University
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS WITHOUT COORDINATES
Thursday, October 04 2012, at 17:00
Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Matematica, Sala del Consiglio VII piano |
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Abstract
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I will start with a quote from the most famous scientist of the first half of the 20th century:Why were another seven years required for the construction of the general theory of relativity. The main reason is the fact that it is not so easy to free oneself from the idea that coordinates must have an immediate metrical meaning.
The following quote is from a far less famous scientist:
The approach of this treatise is conceptual, geometric, and uncompromisingly coordinate-free. In some of the literature tensors are still defined in terms of coordinates and their transformations. To me, this is like looking at shadows dancing on the wall rather than at reality itself.
The first quote is, of course, by Albert Einstein, and is cited in Section 1.2, (entitled spacetime with and without coordinates) of the book Gravitation by Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler. The second quote is by a far less famous scientist, namely me (Walter Noll) in part F of the Introduction to the Book entitled Finite-Dimensional Spaces, Algebra, Geometry, and Analysis.
I will discuss specific examples of coordinate-free treatments of the following topics:
1. Continuum Mechanics
2. Geometry
3. Special Relativity
4. General Relativity
5 Lineons versus Matrices |
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