Amplituhedron
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The amplituhedron is a theoretical geometric object in infinite dimensional space that dramatically simplifies calculations of particle interactions and challenges the notion that space and time are fundamental components of reality[citation needed]. Research into the object has been led by Nima Arkani-Hamed.
Implications
When the volume of the amplituhedron is calculated in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, it describes the scattering patterns of subatomic particles. This suggests the possibility that the nature of the universe, both classical relativistic spacetime and quantum mechanics, can be described with simple geometry. Calculations can be done without quantum mechanics' properties of locality and unitarity, which could aid the investigation of theories of quantum gravity.
It also vastly simplifies the calculations of particle interactions, such that interactions which would require hundreds of Feynman diagrams and thousands of pages of calculations can be computed with a single equation.
Since the N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is a toy theory that does not describe the real world, the relevance of this theory to the real world is currently unknown, but it provides promising directions for research into theories about the real world.
References
- Natalie Wolchover (September 17, 2013). "A Jewel at the Heart of Quantum Physics". Quanta Magazine.
- Kevin Drum (September 18, 2013). "Maybe Space-Time Is Just an Illusion". Mother Jones.
- Nima Arkani-Hamed; Bourjaily, Jacob L.; Freddy Cachazo; Goncharov, Alexander B.; Alexander Postnikov; Jaroslav Trnka (2012). "Scattering Amplitudes and the Positive Grassmannian". arXiv:1212.5605 [hep-th].
- Jaroslav Trnka. "The Amplituhedron" (PDF)., IGST 2013, Utrecht, 22/08/2013
- "The Amplituhedron". SUSY 2013 Conveference Video Archive. 2013-08-30.
- Nima Arkani-Hamed. "Scattering Without Space-Time"., Subramanyan Chandrasekhar Lecture, 25 September 2012.
See also
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