Tag Archives: spacetime

The Show of Total Solar Eclipse, linking Mathematics in the Context

MathFest_Talk_GraphicThe following post was published on Mathematical Correlations Blog (a little before the day of total solar eclipse), and thought of linking it here.

In keeping with the enthusiasm of the incoming total solar eclipse, I want to revive my presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific annual meeting last year on this very topic The eclipse that changed the picture of the universe. Here is the abstract, and linked to it is its utube video (find in the widget area of the blog). I recorded the video after the talk, and so the discussion following the talk is missing in this video.

The Eclipse that Changed the Picture of the Universe

The distinguished total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919, gave new window to the universe. That eclipse truly stood as Einstein favoring cosmic phenomenon, authenticating his general theory of relativity; that the spacetime is conformed via gravity, upending the hitherto upheld Newtonian picture—gravity as force between masses. The bending of light due to mass that the eclipse captured reformed our understanding: from spacetime dynamics to black holes to the recently detected gravitational waves. [Video]

My recent visit to Math Fest 2017 (Mathematical Association of America annual meeting) was interesting and inciting, and there will be opportunities to discuss the sessions in detail here. Following the meeting it occurred to me that there wasn’t a talk that addressed total solar eclipse, surely would have been captivating in the spirit of all the current anticipation of the show of 21st August. I could have brought up in my own talk. And yes, mathematics can very well be seen in the context. The dynamics of total solar eclipse lets us capture the mathematics of spacetime geometry; that we call Einstein’s general relativity in physics.

I have just uploaded my talk Exposing general audience to the voice of mathematics. Here is its abstract, and the video (find it in the widget area, just following the ASP talk).

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Exposing general audience to the voice of mathematics

Under the theme of “Pursuit of Truth” at Saint Louis University I tried to shape up a TEDx talk on the subject of mathematics. From my perspective there isn’t a better subject to address reality than mathematics. Catching me off-guard, a facilitator in the rehearsal round frustratingly snapped for not to be able to follow anything. I scrambled to revamp the talk starting with plain and basic, such as squared and cubed number depictions, then moving to formulations of reality—first simpler of classical mechanics then more complex renderings, such as Dirac equation—to notice the audience cheerfully draw in into the farther intricacies of mathematics as detailed as the expressions in general relativity and quantum field. Foundational concepts and fitting analogies seems to be the key to garner enthusiasm. [Video]

A few important resources on now past total solar eclipse: NASA; Being in the shadow; Great American Eclipse. And the very recommended Sun Moon Earth by Tyler Nordgren has been worth a read by many that embarked to soak in the eclipse show.

Replies and suggestions welcome.

Hope all had rich time absorbing the phenomenon of total solar eclipse!

Neeti.

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Prime Numbers Paralleling Reality: Possible?

Post recently published in Science Blogs. Thought of posting it here to keep the blog readers current. Indulge in primes!

All non-trivial zeros of the zeta function have real part one-half

stated Bernhard Riemann in 1859, a German mathematician whose contributions to modern mathematics, and theoretical physics, is wide and deep—a commonly known one is in structuring the layout of Einstein’s theory of general relativity (spacetime conforms to gravity).

Riemann zeta function

The relatively simple form of Riemann zeta function (in the above statement),

equation1

is an infinite series converging on its limit—a mathematical articulation worked out utilizing tools of analysis. This function with some clever number juggling, directed by Euler, transforms itself into a product (∏), that is, a series involving multiplication—as opposed to the above summation (the summation symbol ∑ we are familiar with)—over all primes, bringing the quirk of primes in the scope of palpable. Here we have the most significant milestone in connecting the nature of primes to the tapestry of all numbers (recall that at surface we don’t see a clear scheme in the distribution of prime numbers). The magic lies in the relationship of “product (∏)” to “summation (∑),” known as Euler product formula, with prime numbers coming into play. The above zeta function is then also this:

equation2  (p: prime, over all prime numbers)

Conceiving the dynamics of this function would then help grasp the inner nature of prime numbers, which Riemann did by the above hypothesis. Indeed visualizing the dynamic interplay not only involves seeing the structuring of prime product but also seeing it in the light of playing of the summation function, which involves perceiving through scrupulous analytics and advanced calculus.1

Digging deep

Except for 1, the zeta function has values for both positive and negative numbers, and its value for every negative even number is a zero—but a trivial zero. (We will see what the zero of a function implies in a bit.) The availability of non-trivial zeros is the gripping point in the true portrayal of prime numbers, and it emerges from the zeta function only but under the guidance of complex field involving the above exponentiation with complex numbers (“a + bi” is a complex number, with a as real part and bi an imaginary where the standard i is taken to be √–1). The Riemann Hypothesis says that under the navigation of zeta function, the complex plane brings about a steadfast line that sits at a ½ real value, streaked all the way to infinity rendered by all non trivial zeros—known as the critical line (Figure 1). Infinitely many non-trivial zeros satisfy the Riemann hypothesis,2 and the first ten trillion of them are seen to conform to the hypothesis.3

The first few non-trivial zeros (known as Gram’s zeros) start approximately as:

½ + 14.134725i; ½ + 21.022040i; ½ + 25.010856i

See the ½ real in the complex plane with different “i”s. Important is to note that here all “i” comes to be an irrational number, that is expanding limitlessly without any pattern, but that’s another story, off from the point of this post.

Figure1

Seeing the looming “½” takes exceedingly complex renderings like Equation3 and Riemann’s vision. Significant mathematical maneuvering and background would be required to even come close to how the non-trivial zeros align, but there it is. By it we have a hold of a crisp order executed by prime numbers—the very numbers that at the surface hover haphazardly (Figure 2). And this schematic is written in a regular numerical language right in front of our eyes. The root of the natural number landscape comes to be the tenacious halo of primes.

Figure2

Unifying Principles

Lucid as it is, we haven’t seen the apex yet. In this deep-seated scope of a clear scheme the prime numbers take us further. Their fabric is stunningly indicatory one. It is here we see the dovetailing primes portending the coordination of the physical universe at its inmost depths.

To cut a lengthy and exceedingly labyrinthine story short, the mathematics that goes in describing quantum mechanical landscape constructs on advanced dosages of matrices—a group in an array that abides by certain set principles—algebra, and group theory. Mathematical operators, which underlie the rendering of matrices, are utilized to chart out the statistical mechanical territory of quantum landscape. Every matrix is stamped with a signature algebraic equation. An algebraic equation is like a prescription, realizing which one can decipher the nature of the object. At mathematical level this means finding its roots: incorporating what values in the equation do we get a zero. For example, for an expression x2 – 3x – 4 (i. e. equation x2 – 3x – 4 = 0) the roots come to be –1 and 4. Replacing x with either number annuls the expression, or makes it zero. The degree of the polynomial (algebraic) defines the number of zero(s) the polynomial has. Thus the squared ones, like in the above example, will have two zeros, or roots.

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It is in these roots we merge the math and universe. For mathematical operators that go in describing quantum field these algebraic zeros are referred as eigenvalues—rings a bell? Indeed, it points to the eigenvalues of energy in quantum mechanical setup—that only certain values of energy are allowed.4,5

It is here we have the natures unite. Some such specialized operators cast striking resemblance with the Riemann’s zeta function in a way that the operator’s eigenvalues coincide with the zeta function’s non trivial zeros. It is here that not only diverse mathematical branches meld but also mathematical and physical amalgamate (Figure 3), by the sharp correspondence of the quantum energy values (the eigenvalues) and the non-trivial zeros.

Figure3

We now have prime numbers not only casing a universal principle of symmetry but also doing it in the well defined outlay of tactile quantum realm.5 Their symmetry isn’t on the surface but in the dynamical interplay—the aligning of zeta zeros—that the physical world at its roots dons.

The non-trivial zeros themselves fall in a pattern, and squeeze closer and closer, as we climb up the complex ladder of zeta function. The spacing of non-trivial zeros aligns with the spacing of the eigenvalues. The array of quantum eigenvalues constitutes the spectrum that the non-trivial zeros of zeta function bring forth.  Then, the deep-hidden order of primes is the language of quantum depictions.

This was more than expected!

It is even contemplated that the Riemann function itself can directly be prescribed by an operator which would model a physical system, i. e., a potency of seeing a physical system by the weave of Riemann operator—a physical system of semiclassical quantum chaos to be precise.4 Not chaotic chaos, but chaos of chaos theory which sees a crisp complexion in a rendering that at the surface appears completely erratic. The non-trivial zeta zeros of this operator would be eigenvalues of a semiclassical chaotic system.

The Riemann hypothesis not only substantiates the Prime Number Theorem, it exposes a stubborn structural identity to the prime numbers, and piece them in the all-embracing arena of symmetry. Indeed immense approximations are involved for us to see the diagrammatic of the hypothesis, but they are all with acute mathematical precision.

The nuance of the quantum world vindicates the hypothesis. Do we still need a proof!

The hypothesis isn’t proven or disproven yet,6 but it has incited a great deal of novelties and unified large swaths of mathematics and mathematical physics in the interim. The intricate interconnections that play out behind it is mesmerizingly suggestive, and offer deep insights of the natural structure that is both discrete and abstract at the same time.

——————————————————

References:

  1. John Derbyshire, Prime Obsession, Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics, A Plume Book, 2003
  2. H. Hardy (a British mathematician) in 1914 proved that infinitely many non-trivial zeros satisfy Riemann Hypothesis (or lie on the critical line): Sur Les zeros de la fonction ζ (s) de Riemann. French. In: Comptes Rendus de l’ Académie des Sciences 158 (1914), pp. 1012-14. Issn: 00014036.
  3. Gourdon (2004), The 1013 First Zeros of the Riemann Zeta Function, and Zeros Computation at Very Large Height.

For an overview (4, 5):

  4. Barry Cipra, A Prime Case of Chaos

  5. Germán Sierra, The Riemann zeros as spectrum and the Riemann hypothesis

6. Clay Mathematics Institute Millennium Problems: http://www.claymath.org/millennium-problems/riemann-hypothesis

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Total Solar Eclipse and the Picture of the Universe

Few are aware of the imminent cosmic phenomenon that sweeps all across USA in its splendor and rarity—the wonder of total solar eclipse. August 21st of this year will mark its occurrence after a void of almost 100 years, when it had painted the entire nation in the year 1918 (In the year 1979 it touched a tiny spot in the northern USA before veering off northbound). The whole effort of this year’s annual ASP (Astronomical Society of the Pacific) meeting was to spread out the word, engage as many science followers as possible into the majesty of this celestial display; urge them on into once in a lifetime kind of show.

There were stimulating talks disseminating the scientific background, and the enormous efforts that have been put in to popularize, educate, and incite on the appearance and experience of a total solar eclipse itself. And the ASP plans to upload all the talks on their website, in the hope to spur on a wider enthusiasm and interest.  Here is some useful set of information to help you prepare and indulge if you feel interested: NASA (1), Being in the Shadow (2), Great American Eclipse (3).

I being an ardent proponent of the physical sciences indeed tuned in, and pitched my own take on the subject of total solar eclipse, and how this phenomenon has played a vital role in revealing the basic principles of how the universe structures and continues. So here is my talk—The Eclipse that Changed the Picture of the Universe—at the meeting, in case you feel inspired.

Total solar eclipse takes place when the earth, moon and sun together strike a perfect alignment such that the moon situated in the middle fully blocks out the sun for a brief moment in space and time, leaving out the halo of corona—the usually invisible sun’s outer atmosphere—a brilliant ring that glows from behind. For that brief period we remain under the shadow of the moon while the radiating corona flags the sun’s only identity in the sky. It is the only instance in time when although the sun is present in our view of the sky, its intense glare remains occluded. Albert Einstein around the year 1915 realized that this relatively rare instance gives us an astonishing window into the nature of reality. How? In the year 1915 Einstein had proposed—by his theory of general relativity—that spacetime conforms to the force of gravity. Simply, gravity gives geometry to the universe. And if this is true then matter bends light.

Archway_FigI

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An event of a total solar eclipse extends us a perfect window into which we can verify such bending of the light. The ultra bending of the light reaches a detection level only when caused by a massive cosmic body, such as sun. The bending of the light by the sun is ascertained by measuring the shifts in the positions of the background stars—the deflections of stars as the sun passes through (Picture 1). Measured in arcseconds—an extraordinarily miniscule amount—this deflection, however, would be impossible to pin down due the intense glare of sun on a usual day. The event of a total solar eclipse thus gives us a perfect window for studying sun’s gravitational field without being bedazzled by the blinding glow.

Archway_FigII

The total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919, became a legendary eclipse (Picture 2) that attested the bending of light by matter, theorized by Einstein. The discovery of spacetime curvation by the force of gravity led us to a bigger and finer picture of the universe: From the way the universe might have begun to the existence of black holes to theory of wormhole to the pulsation of gravitational waves, recently detected by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory).

The new picture emerged, and Einstein celebrated, by the mechanics of the natural grandeur.

Neeti.

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