The Algebraic Theory of Spinors and Clifford Algebras

The Algebraic Theory of Spinors and Clifford Algebras PDF

Author: Claude Chevalley

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1996-12-13

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9783540570639

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In 1982, Claude Chevalley expressed three specific wishes with respect to the publication of his Works. First, he stated very clearly that such a publication should include his non technical papers. His reasons for that were two-fold. One reason was his life long commitment to epistemology and to politics, which made him strongly opposed to the view otherwise currently held that mathematics involves only half of a man. As he wrote to G. C. Rota on November 29th, 1982: "An important number of papers published by me are not of a mathematical nature. Some have epistemological features which might explain their presence in an edition of collected papers of a mathematician, but quite a number of them are concerned with theoretical politics ( . . . ) they reflect an aspect of myself the omission of which would, I think, give a wrong idea of my lines of thinking". On the other hand, Chevalley thought that the Collected Works of a mathematician ought to be read not only by other mathematicians, but also by historians of science.

Clifford Algebra and Spinor-Valued Functions

Clifford Algebra and Spinor-Valued Functions PDF

Author: R. Delanghe

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 501

ISBN-13: 9401129223

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This volume describes the substantial developments in Clifford analysis which have taken place during the last decade and, in particular, the role of the spin group in the study of null solutions of real and complexified Dirac and Laplace operators. The book has six main chapters. The first two (Chapters 0 and I) present classical results on real and complex Clifford algebras and show how lower-dimensional real Clifford algebras are well-suited for describing basic geometric notions in Euclidean space. Chapters II and III illustrate how Clifford analysis extends and refines the computational tools available in complex analysis in the plane or harmonic analysis in space. In Chapter IV the concept of monogenic differential forms is generalized to the case of spin-manifolds. Chapter V deals with analysis on homogeneous spaces, and shows how Clifford analysis may be connected with the Penrose transform. The volume concludes with some Appendices which present basic results relating to the algebraic and analytic structures discussed. These are made accessible for computational purposes by means of computer algebra programmes written in REDUCE and are contained on an accompanying floppy disk.

An Introduction to Clifford Algebras and Spinors

An Introduction to Clifford Algebras and Spinors PDF

Author: Jayme Vaz Jr.

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0198782926

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This work is unique compared to the existing literature. It is very didactical and accessible to both students and researchers, without neglecting the formal character and the deep algebraic completeness of the topic along with its physical applications.

Clifford Algebras and Their Applications in Mathematical Physics

Clifford Algebras and Their Applications in Mathematical Physics PDF

Author: J.S.R. Chisholm

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 589

ISBN-13: 9400947283

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William Kingdon Clifford published the paper defining his "geometric algebras" in 1878, the year before his death. Clifford algebra is a generalisation to n-dimensional space of quaternions, which Hamilton used to represent scalars and vectors in real three-space: it is also a development of Grassmann's algebra, incorporating in the fundamental relations inner products defined in terms of the metric of the space. It is a strange fact that the Gibbs Heaviside vector techniques came to dominate in scientific and technical literature, while quaternions and Clifford algebras, the true associative algebras of inner-product spaces, were regarded for nearly a century simply as interesting mathematical curiosities. During this period, Pauli, Dirac and Majorana used the algebras which bear their names to describe properties of elementary particles, their spin in particular. It seems likely that none of these eminent mathematical physicists realised that they were using Clifford algebras. A few research workers such as Fueter realised the power of this algebraic scheme, but the subject only began to be appreciated more widely after the publication of Chevalley's book, 'The Algebraic Theory of Spinors' in 1954, and of Marcel Riesz' Maryland Lectures in 1959. Some of the contributors to this volume, Georges Deschamps, Erik Folke Bolinder, Albert Crumeyrolle and David Hestenes were working in this field around that time, and in their turn have persuaded others of the importance of the subject.

An Introduction to Clifford Algebras and Spinors

An Introduction to Clifford Algebras and Spinors PDF

Author: Jayme Vaz Jr.

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-05-12

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0191085782

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This text explores how Clifford algebras and spinors have been sparking a collaboration and bridging a gap between Physics and Mathematics. This collaboration has been the consequence of a growing awareness of the importance of algebraic and geometric properties in many physical phenomena, and of the discovery of common ground through various touch points: relating Clifford algebras and the arising geometry to so-called spinors, and to their three definitions (both from the mathematical and physical viewpoint). The main point of contact are the representations of Clifford algebras and the periodicity theorems. Clifford algebras also constitute a highly intuitive formalism, having an intimate relationship to quantum field theory. The text strives to seamlessly combine these various viewpoints and is devoted to a wider audience of both physicists and mathematicians. Among the existing approaches to Clifford algebras and spinors this book is unique in that it provides a didactical presentation of the topic and is accessible to both students and researchers. It emphasizes the formal character and the deep algebraic and geometric completeness, and merges them with the physical applications. The style is clear and precise, but not pedantic. The sole pre-requisites is a course in Linear Algebra which most students of Physics, Mathematics or Engineering will have covered as part of their undergraduate studies.

Clifford Algebras and Spinors

Clifford Algebras and Spinors PDF

Author: Pertti Lounesto

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-05-03

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0521005515

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This is the second edition of a popular work offering a unique introduction to Clifford algebras and spinors. The beginning chapters could be read by undergraduates; vectors, complex numbers and quaternions are introduced with an eye on Clifford algebras. The next chapters will also interest physicists, and include treatments of the quantum mechanics of the electron, electromagnetism and special relativity with a flavour of Clifford algebras. This edition has three new chapters, including material on conformal invariance and a history of Clifford algebras.

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