Analytical Animations: New Views on Physics

Rene Descartes developed analytical geomery, a way to create an image based on a polynomial. By using a number called a quaternion that has four parts, one for time, three for space, equations can be used to directly create animations. Simple addition of quaternions yields an inertial observer, at the core of special relativity. Systems with spin 1 and spin 2 symmetry are easily animated. All the symmetries that make up the standard model can be viewed on an iPod. Even some of the technically demanding tools like gamma matrices of quantum mechanics may have an visual explanation.

This talks was prepared for the 2008 March American Physical Society (APS) meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Physics
• Animations
• Descartes
• Newton
• Einstein
• Quaternions
• Standard
• Model
• Gamma
• Matrices

[sweetser]

Just came back from the LIVE presentation. No one asked any questions, guess they have heard this kind of thing before. To be more generous, the audience was concerned with how to teach people physics. This is research that is outside the box.

[BrandonFurtwangler]

maybe they didn't understand it. I know i didn't really get it...

It did make me look read up a bit on quaternions though.

[BrandonFurtwangler]

great video. i like this type of vid better than some of your stranger vids :p

[Endoalir]

That was very cool!