All Topics  
Broken symmetry

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Broken symmetry
 
 
  Topics Broken symmetry Topic Home

Broken symmetry is a concept, developed by Lee
Tsung-Dao Lee

Tsung-Dao Lee is a China-born United States physicist, well known for his work on Parity #Parity violation, Lee Model, particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, nontopological solitons and soliton stars....
 and Yang
Chen Ning Yang

Chen-Ning Franklin Yang is a China-born United States physicist who worked on statistical mechanics and particle physics. He, together with Tsung-Dao Lee, received the 1957 Nobel prize in physics for their work on parity nonconservation of weak interaction....
, used in mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
 and physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 when an object breaks either rotational symmetry
Rotational symmetry

File:The armoured triskelion on the flag of the Isle of Man.svgGenerally speaking, an object with rotational symmetry is an object that looks the same after a certain amount of rotation....
 or translational symmetry
Translational symmetry

In geometry, a translation "slides" an object by a a: Ta = p + a.In physics and mathematics, continuous translational symmetry is the invariance of a system of equations under any translation....
. That is, when one can only rotate an object in certain angles or when one is able to discern if the object has been shifted sideways (unless one shifts by a whole number of lattice
Lattice model (physics)

In physics, a lattice model is a physical model that is defined on a lattice , as opposed to the continuum of space or spacetime. Lattice models originally occurred in the context of condensed matter physics, where the atoms of a crystal automatically form a lattice....
 units). For example, imagine a jumping bean
Jumping Bean

Jumping Bean may refer to:*Mexican jumping bean, a type of seed in which the egg of a small moth has been laid*"Jumping Bean", a song by Tracy Bonham from her 2000 album Down Here...
 sitting atop a Mexican hat
Sombrero

In English language-speaking countries sombrero typically refers to a type of hat originating in Mexico. The English word sombrero is a loan word from Spanish, where the term is used to refer to any hat with a brim....
. It is in a rotationally symmetric state until it inevitably hops and falls down to a lower equilibrium
Equilibrium

For the opposite, see disequilibrium.Equilibrium is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced and it may refer to:...
, breaking the rotational symmetry.








Discussion
Ask a question about 'Broken symmetry'
Start a new discussion about 'Broken symmetry'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Broken symmetry is a concept, developed by Lee
Tsung-Dao Lee

Tsung-Dao Lee is a China-born United States physicist, well known for his work on Parity #Parity violation, Lee Model, particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, nontopological solitons and soliton stars....
 and Yang
Chen Ning Yang

Chen-Ning Franklin Yang is a China-born United States physicist who worked on statistical mechanics and particle physics. He, together with Tsung-Dao Lee, received the 1957 Nobel prize in physics for their work on parity nonconservation of weak interaction....
, used in mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
 and physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 when an object breaks either rotational symmetry
Rotational symmetry

File:The armoured triskelion on the flag of the Isle of Man.svgGenerally speaking, an object with rotational symmetry is an object that looks the same after a certain amount of rotation....
 or translational symmetry
Translational symmetry

In geometry, a translation "slides" an object by a a: Ta = p + a.In physics and mathematics, continuous translational symmetry is the invariance of a system of equations under any translation....
. That is, when one can only rotate an object in certain angles or when one is able to discern if the object has been shifted sideways (unless one shifts by a whole number of lattice
Lattice model (physics)

In physics, a lattice model is a physical model that is defined on a lattice , as opposed to the continuum of space or spacetime. Lattice models originally occurred in the context of condensed matter physics, where the atoms of a crystal automatically form a lattice....
 units). For example, imagine a jumping bean
Jumping Bean

Jumping Bean may refer to:*Mexican jumping bean, a type of seed in which the egg of a small moth has been laid*"Jumping Bean", a song by Tracy Bonham from her 2000 album Down Here...
 sitting atop a Mexican hat
Sombrero

In English language-speaking countries sombrero typically refers to a type of hat originating in Mexico. The English word sombrero is a loan word from Spanish, where the term is used to refer to any hat with a brim....
. It is in a rotationally symmetric state until it inevitably hops and falls down to a lower equilibrium
Equilibrium

For the opposite, see disequilibrium.Equilibrium is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced and it may refer to:...
, breaking the rotational symmetry.

Art


A sculpture depicting this principle as it is used in the Standard Model
Standard Model

The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory of three of the four known fundamental interactions and the elementary particles that take part in these interactions....
 of particle physics
Particle physics

Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary particle constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them....
 is installed at the entrance to Fermilab
Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , located in Batavia, Illinois near Chicago, Illinois, is a U.S. United States Department of Energy United States Department of Energy National Labs specializing in high-energy particle physics....
 .

See also


  • Catastrophe theory
    Catastrophe theory

    In mathematics, catastrophe theory is a branch of bifurcation theory in the study of dynamical systems; it is also a particular special case of more general singularity theory in geometry....
  • Symmetry
    Symmetry

    Symmetry generally conveys two primary meanings. The first is an imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically-pleasing proportionality and balance; such that it reflects beauty or perfection....
  • Spontaneous symmetry breaking
    Spontaneous symmetry breaking

    In physics, spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs when a system that is symmetry in physics with respect to some symmetry group goes into a vacuum state that is not symmetric....


External links

  • Mathworld: Symmetry , Rotation and Translation .
  • Identify the Broken Symmetry