Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe
| AUTHOR | Close, Frank |
| PUBLISHER | Basic Books (06/25/2013) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Paperback (Paperback) |
Description
Speculation is rife that by 2012 the elusive Higgs boson will be found at the Large Hadron Collider. If found, the Higgs boson would help explain why everything has mass. But there's more at stake -- what we're really testing is our capacity to make the universe reasonable. Our best understanding of physics is predicated on something known as quantum field theory. Unfortunately, in its raw form, it doesn't't make sense -- its outputs are physically impossible infinite percentages when they should be something simpler, like the number 1. The kind of physics that the Higgs boson represents seeks to "renormalize" field theory, forcing equations to provide answers that match what we see in the real world. The Infinity Puzzle is the story of a wild idea on the road to acceptance. Only Close can tell it.
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780465063826
ISBN-10:
0465063829
Binding:
Paperback or Softback (Trade Paperback (Us))
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
464
Carton Quantity:
16
Product Dimensions:
6.10 x 1.40 x 9.10 inches
Weight:
1.20 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Bibliography,
Index,
Price on Product,
Table of Contents,
Illustrated
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Science | Physics - Quantum Theory
Science | History
Science | Waves & Wave Mechanics
Dewey Decimal:
530.143
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
Speculation is rife that by 2012 the elusive Higgs boson will be found at the Large Hadron Collider. If found, the Higgs boson would help explain why everything has mass. But there's more at stake -- what we're really testing is our capacity to make the universe reasonable. Our best understanding of physics is predicated on something known as quantum field theory. Unfortunately, in its raw form, it doesn't't make sense -- its outputs are physically impossible infinite percentages when they should be something simpler, like the number 1. The kind of physics that the Higgs boson represents seeks to "renormalize" field theory, forcing equations to provide answers that match what we see in the real world. The Infinity Puzzle is the story of a wild idea on the road to acceptance. Only Close can tell it.
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Author:
Close, Frank
Frank Close is Professor of Physics at the Theoretical Physics Department, Oxford University. He gained a DPhil at Oxford University, and has worked at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), CERN, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Professor Close has been awarded the Kelvin Medal from the Institute of Physics and is the author of many books aimed at both a professional and a lay audience.
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Your Price
$24.74