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IAP 2012 Activity


Animating New Physics
Douglas Sweetser '84
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

Please register using the link below to let us know you which session(s) you plan to attend.
Web: https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/register-login.vm?eventID=60861&groupID=194
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-200, (617) 252-1143, ebyrne@mit.edu
Sponsor: Alumni Association

Quaternion Quantum Field Theory Demystified
Douglas Sweetser '84
Four rules will be used to rewrite any physics equations with
quaternions: 1) keep 4-vectors together 2) drop all factors of i 3) write all constants 4) make terms dimensionless. This approach will be applied to Newton's second law, the uncertainty principle, the Schrodinger wave equation, the Klein-Gordon equation and the Dirac equation. Last through this much hard core math and get a "Nerds Know"
bumper sticker.
Wed Jan 18, 03-05:00pm, 3-270

Analytic Animations Using Quaternions
Douglas Sweetser '84
Rene Descartes gave us analytic geometry. Modernize this tool to make animations from the same expressions. When animated, triangles and squares are fleeting but of interest to physicists. See a real spacetime cube. A vast new way of thinking visually about time's relationships with space is opening up.
Thu Jan 19, 03-05:00pm, 3-270

Derive the Maxwell Equations and More
Douglas Sweetser '84
Tell God what to say using quaternions. The Maxwell equations will be derived. Repeated the derivation with a different multiplication rule leading to field equations that unify a linear approach to gravity and the standard model symmetries. All this fits on a t-shirt which will be given to participants for free. A dinner will follow at the Asgard Bar & Grill.
Fri Jan 20, 03-05:00pm, 3-270
Latest update: 28-Nov-2011


MIT  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Comments and questions to: iap-www@mit.edu Academic Resource Center, Room 7-104, 617-253-1668
Last update: 7 Sept. 2011