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Edward Witten (original) | Edward Witten (original) | ||
If one wants to | If one wants to summarize our knowledge of physics in the briefest possible terms, there are three really fundamental observations: | ||
# [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime Spacetime] is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudo-Riemannian_manifold pseudo-Riemannian manifold] : $$M$$, endowed with a [[metric tensor]] and governed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometry geometrical laws]. | # [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime Spacetime] is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudo-Riemannian_manifold pseudo-Riemannian manifold] : $$M$$, endowed with a [[metric tensor]] and governed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometry geometrical laws]. | ||
# Over $$M$$ is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ | # Over $$M$$ is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_bundle vector bundle] : $$X$$, with a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-abelian_group non-abelian structure group] : $$G$$. | ||
# [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermion Fermions] are sections of $$(\hat{S}_{+} \otimes V_{R}) \oplus (\hat{S}\_ \otimes V_{\bar{R}})$$. $$R$$ and $$\bar{R}$$ are not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomorphism isomorphic]; their failure to be isomorphic explains why the light fermions are light. | # [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermion Fermions] are sections of $$(\hat{S}_{+} \otimes V_{R}) \oplus (\hat{S}\_ \otimes V_{\bar{R}})$$. $$R$$ and $$\bar{R}$$ are not [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomorphism isomorphic]; their failure to be isomorphic explains why the light fermions are light. | ||
All of this must be supplemented with the understanding that the geometrical laws obeyed by the metric tensor, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_gauge_theory gauge fields], and the fermions are to be interpreted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics quantum mechanical] terms. | All of this must be supplemented with the understanding that the geometrical laws obeyed by the metric tensor, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_gauge_theory gauge fields], and the fermions are to be interpreted in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics quantum mechanical] terms. |
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