Hidden Unity in Nature's Laws - Softcover

Taylor, John C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521659388 ISBN 13: 9780521659383

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

As physics has progressed through the ages it has succeeded in explaining more and more diverse phenomena with fewer and fewer underlying principles. This lucid and wide-ranging book explains how this understanding has developed by periodically uncovering unexpected 'hidden unities' in nature. The author deftly steers the reader on a fascinating path which goes to the heart of physics - the search and discovery of elegant laws which unify and simplify our understanding of the intricate Universe in which we live. Starting with the Ancient Greeks, the author traces the development of major concepts in physics right up to the present day. Throughout, the presentation is crisp and informative and only a minimum of mathematics is used. Any reader with a background in mathematics or physics will find this book a fascinating insight into the development of our fundamental understanding of the world, and the apparent simplicity underlying it.

About this title

About the Author

John-C Taylor is professor emeritus of mathematical physics at the University of Cambridge. A pupil of the Nobel Prize-winner Abdus Salam, Professor Taylor has had a long and distinguished career. In particular, he was a discoverer of equations that play an important role in the theory of the current "standard model" of particles and their forces. In 1976, he published the first textbook on the subject, Gauge Theories of Weak Interactions. He has taught theoretical physics at Imperial College, London, and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and he has lectured around the world. In 1981 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521659388
• ISBN 13: 9780521659383
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 508