Geometric Algebra for Physicists
Abstract:
... for geometry, you know, is the gate of science, and the gate is so low and small that one can only enter it as a little child.
William K. Clifford (founder of Geometric Algebra)
Instead of having special mathematics for all the different fields of physics, Geometric Algebra (GA) supplies a unified and unifying mathematical language for the whole of physics. It not only allows for a geometric interpretation of the constituent elements, it uncovers hidden connections between the otherwise seemingly unrelated mathematical descriptions. "Why hasn't anyone told me that before?" is a regularly heard, awing reaction of students being exposed to this language for the first time.
It is not the ambition of this course to teach a new language in five days, for as with so many things, it is learning by doing. I will merely convey the concept of the language and its application to a variety of subjects. It is therefore a prerequisite for the students to be familiar with these topics already. Emphasis will be on electromagnetism and special relativity, but we will also cover the Pauli and Dirac theories. At the end I will discuss what GA is recently doing for scattering theory and computer science.
Is it too late to learn a new math? Listen in and judge for yourself!