Mathematical physics

At the same time that mathematicians were attempting to put their own house in order, they were also looking with renewed interest at contemporary work in physics. The man who did the most to rekindle their interest was Poincaré. Poincaré showed that dynamic systems described by quite simple differential equations, such as the solar system, can nonetheless yield the most random-looking, chaotic behaviour. He went on to explore ways in which mathematicians can nonetheless say things about this chaotic behaviour and so pioneered the way in which probabilistic statements about dynamic systems can be found to describe what otherwise defies our intelligence.

Poincaré later turned to problems of electrodynamics. After many years' work, the Dutch physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz had been led to an apparent dependence of length and time on motion, and Poincaré was pleased to notice that the transformations that Lorentz proposed as a way of converting one observer's data into another's formed a group. This appealed to Poincaré and strengthened his belief that there was no sense in a concept of absolute motion; all motion was relative. Poincaré thereupon gave an elegant mathematical formulation of Lorentz's ideas, which fitted them into a theory in which the motion of the electron is governed by Maxwell's equations. Poincaré, however, stopped short of denying the reality of the ether or of proclaiming that the velocity of light is the same for all observers, so credit for the first truly relativistic theory of the motion of the electron rests with Einstein and his special theory of relativity (1905).

Einstein's special theory is so called because it treats only the special case of uniform relative motion. The much more important case of accelerated motion and motion in a gravitational field was to take a further decade and to require a far more substantial dose of mathematics. Einstein only changed his estimate of the value of pure mathematics, which he had hitherto disdained, when he discovered that many of the questions he was led to had already been formulated mathematically and had been solved. He was most struck by theories derived from the study of geometry in the sense in which Riemann had formulated it.

By 1915 a number of mathematicians were interested in reapplying their discoveries to physics. The leading institution in this respect was the University of Göttingen, where Hilbert had unsuccessfully attempted to produce a general theory of relativity before Einstein, and it was there that many of the leaders of the coming revolution in quantum mechanics were to study. There, too, went many of the leading mathematicians of their generation, notably John von Neumann and Hermann Weyl, to study with Hilbert. In 1904 Hilbert had turned to the study of integral equations. These arise in many problems where the unknown is itself a function of some variable, and especially in those parts of physics that are expressed in terms of extremal principles (such as the principle of least action). The extremal principle usually yields information about an integral involving the sought-for function, hence the name “integral equation.” Hilbert's contribution was to bring together many different strands of contemporary work and to show how they could be elucidated if cast in the form of arguments about objects in certain infinite-dimensional vector spaces.

The extension to infinite dimensions was not a trivial task, but it brought with it the opportunity to use geometric intuition and geometric concepts to analyze problems about integral equations. Hilbert left it to his students to provide the best abstract setting for his work, and thus was born the concept of a Hilbert space. Roughly speaking this is an infinite-dimensional vector space in which it makes sense to speak of the lengths of vectors and the angles between them; useful examples include certain spaces of sequences and certain spaces of functions. Operators defined on these spaces are also of great interest; their study forms part of the field of functional analysis.

When in the 1920s mathematicians and physicists were seeking ways to formulate the new quantum mechanics, von Neumann proposed that the subject be written in the language of functional analysis. The quantum mechanical world of states and observables, with its mysterious wave packets that were sometimes like particles and sometimes like waves depending on how they were observed, went very neatly into the theory of Hilbert spaces. Functional analysis has ever since grown with the fortunes of particle physics.

Read the article and do the tasks:

I. How do you understand the italicized forms? Translate the sentence.

He went on to explore ways in which mathematicians can nonetheless say things about this chaotic behaviour and so pioneered the way in which probabilistic statements about dynamic systems can be found to describe what otherwise defies our intelligence.

II. What does the word " another's " stand for? Translate the sentence into Russian.

Poincaré was pleased to notice that the transformations that Lorentz proposed as a way of converting one observer's data into another's formed a group.

III. What is the meaning of the modal verb to be + to Infinitive in the sentences? Translate the sentences. When doing this pay special attention to the menings of the words "dose", "strands" and "cast" as well.

1. The much more important case of accelerated motion and motion in a gravitational field was to take a further decade and to require a far more substantial dose of mathematics

2.…it was there that many of the leaders of the coming revolution in quantum mechanics were to study.

3. Hilbert's contribution was to bring together many different strands of contemporary work and to show how they could be elucidated if cast in the form of arguments about objects in certain infinite-dimensional vector spaces

IV. What is the function of the pronoun "it" in the sentence? Translate it into Russian.

The extension to infinite dimensions was not a trivial task, but it brought with it the opportunity to use geometric intuition and geometric concepts to analyze problems about integral equations

V. Explain the italicized form and translate the sentence into Russian.

…von Neumann proposed that the subject be written in the language of functional analysis.

VI. Explain and translate the attributive groups:

1. After many years' work…

2. The quantum mechanical world of states and observables…

VII. In what meaning are the italicized words used in the sentences? Look them up in the English –Russian dictionary and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Poincaré, however, stopped short of denying the reality of the ether or of proclaiming that the velocity of light is the same for all observers

2. Hilbert left it to his students to provide the best abstract setting for his work…

3. Functional analysis has ever since grown with the fortunes of particle physics

VIII. How will you translate the Passive form of the verb "to lead" in the sentences:

1. After many years' work, the Dutch physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz had been led to an apparent dependence of length and time on motion

2.…when he discovered that many of the questions he was led to had already been formulated mathematically and had been solved.

IX. Translate the whole article into Russian.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 904