Physics and the Pythagorean Theorem
History and Philosophy of Physics
2020-06-11 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Abstract
Pythagoras' theorem lies at the heart of physics as well as mathematics, yet its historical origins are obscure. We highlight a purely pictorial, gestalt-like proof that may have originated during the Zhou Dynasty. Generalizations of the Pythagorean theorem to three, four and more dimensions undergird fundamental laws including the energy-momentum relation of particle physics and the field equations of general relativity, and may hint at future unified theories. The "pre-mathematical" nature of this theorem lends support to the Eddingtonian view that "the stuff of the world is mind-stuff."
Cite
@article{arxiv.2005.10671,
title = {Physics and the Pythagorean Theorem},
author = {James Overduin and Richard Conn Henry},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2005.10671},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
To appear in the inaugural issue of Minkowski Institute Magazine