The Structures Of Mathematical Physics

This textbook serves as an introduction to groups, rings, fields, vector and tensor spaces, algebras, topological spaces, differentiable manifolds and Lie groups --- mathematical structures which are foundational to modern theoretical physics. It is aimed primarily at undergraduate students in physics and mathematics with no previous background in these topics. Applications to physics --- such as the metric tensor of special relativity, the symplectic structures associated with Hamilton's equations and the Generalized Stokes's Theorem --- appear at appropriate places in the text. Worked examples, end-of-chapter problems (many with hints and some with answers) and guides to further reading make this an excellent book for self-study. Upon completing this book the reader will be well prepared to delve more deeply into advanced texts and specialized monographs in theoretical physics or mathematics.

This book is about scientific theories of a particular kind - theories of mathematical physics. Examples of such theories are classical and relativis tic particle mechanics, classical electrodynamics, classical thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, hydrodynamics, and quantum mechanics. Roughly, these are theories in which a certain mathematical structure is employed to make statements about some fragment of the world. Most of the book is simply an elaboration of this rough characterization of theories of mathematical physics. It is argued that each theory of mathematical physics has associated with it a certain characteristic mathematical struc ture. This structure may be used in a variety of ways to make empirical claims about putative applications of the theory. Typically - though not necessarily - the way this structure is used in making such claims requires that certain elements in the structure play essentially different roles. Some playa "theoretical" role; others playa "non-theoretical" role. For example, in classical particle mechanics, mass and force playa theoretical role while position plays a non-theoretical role. Some attention is given to showing how this distinction can be drawn and describing precisely the way in which the theoretical and non-theoretical elements function in the claims of the theory. An attempt is made to say, rather precisely, what a theory of mathematical physics is and how you tell one such theory from anothe- what the identity conditions for these theories are.

The theories describing seemingly unrelated areas of physics have surprising analogies that have aroused the curiosity of scientists and motivated efforts to identify reasons for their existence. Comparative study of physical theories has revealed the presence of a common topological and geometric structure. The Mathematical Structure of Classical and Relativistic Physics is the first book to analyze this structure in depth, thereby exposing the relationship between (a) global physical variables and (b) space and time elements such as points, lines, surfaces, instants, and intervals. Combining this relationship with the inner and outer orientation of space and time allows one to construct a classification diagram for variables, equations, and other theoretical characteristics. The book is divided into three parts. The first introduces the framework for the above-mentioned classification, methodically developing a geometric and topological formulation applicable to all physical laws and properties; the second applies this formulation to a detailed study of particle dynamics, electromagnetism, deformable solids, fluid dynamics, heat conduction, and gravitation. The third part further analyses the general structure of the classification diagram for variables and equations of physical theories. Suitable for a diverse audience of physicists, engineers, and mathematicians, The Mathematical Structure of Classical and Relativistic Physics offers a valuable resource for studying the physical world. Written at a level accessible to graduate and advanced undergraduate students in mathematical physics, the book can be used as a research monograph across various areas of physics, engineering and mathematics, and as a supplemental text for a broad range of upper-level scientific coursework.

This monograph presents various ongoing approaches to the vast topic of quantization, which is the process of forming a quantum mechanical system starting from a classical one, and discusses their numerous fruitful interactions with mathematics.The opening chapter introduces the various forms of quantization and their interactions with each other and with mathematics.A first approach to quantization, called deformation quantization, consists of viewing the Planck constant as a small parameter. This approach provides a deformation of the structure of the algebra of classical observables rather than a radical change in the nature of the observables. When symmetries come into play, deformation quantization needs to be merged with group actions, which is presented in chapter 2, by Simone Gutt.The noncommutativity arising from quantization is the main concern of noncommutative geometry. Allowing for the presence of symmetries requires working with principal fiber bundles in a non-commutative setup, where Hopf algebras appear naturally. This is the topic of chapter 3, by Christian Kassel. Nichols algebras, a special type of Hopf algebras, are the subject of chapter 4, by Nicolás Andruskiewitsch. The purely algebraic approaches given in the previous chapters do not take the geometry of space-time into account. For this purpose a special treatment using a more geometric point of view is required. An approach to field quantization on curved space-time, with applications to cosmology, is presented in chapter 5 in an account of the lectures of Abhay Ashtekar that brings a complementary point of view to non-commutativity.An alternative quantization procedure is known under the name of string theory. In chapter 6 its supersymmetric version is presented. Superstrings have drawn the attention of many mathematicians, due to its various fruitful interactions with algebraic geometry, some of which are described here. The remaining chapters discuss further topics, as the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism and direct products of spectral triples.This volume addresses both physicists and mathematicians and serves as an introduction to ongoing research in very active areas of mathematics and physics at the border line between geometry, topology, algebra and quantum field theory.

A presentation of outstanding achievements and ideas, of both eastern and western scientists, both mathematicians and physicists. Their presentations of recent work on quantum field theory, supergravity, M-theory, black holes and quantum gravity, together with research into noncommutative geometry, Hopf algebras, representation theory, categories and quantum groups, take the reader to the forefront of the latest developments. Other topics covered include supergravity and branes, supersymmetric quantum mechanics and superparticles, (super) black holes, superalgebra representations, and SUSY GUT phenomenology. Essential reading for workers in the modern methods of theoretical and mathematical physics.

This textbook, first published in 2004, provides an introduction to the major mathematical structures used in physics today.

This classic book helps students learn the basics in physics by bridging the gap between mathematics and the basic fundamental laws of physics. With supplemental material such as graphs and equations, Mathematical Methods for Physics creates a strong, solid anchor of learning. The text has three parts: Part I focuses on the use of special functions in solving the homogeneous partial differential equations of physics, and emphasizes applications to topics such as electrostatics, wave guides, and resonant cavities, vibrations of membranes, heat flow, potential flow in fluids, plane and spherical waves. Part II deals with the solution of inhomogeneous differential equations with particular emphasis on problems in electromagnetism, Green's functions for Poisson's equation, the wave equation and the diffusion equation, and the solution of integral equations by iteration, eigenfunction expansion and the Fredholm series. Finally, Part II explores complex variable techniques, including evalution of itegrals, dispersion relations, special functions in the complex plane, one-sided Fourier transforms, and Laplace transforms.