Prof. Marcelo Disconzi Speaks at Dyer Observatory
Prof. Marcelo Disconzi gave a lecture at the Dyer Observatory on Nov 21, 2024. The title of his talk was: When Mathematics & Physics Collide: Black-Hole Mergers, Neutron Stars, and the Theory of Relativity.
From Marcelo’s abstract:
“In 1915, Einstein developed the general theory of relativity, a theory born out of what he called his “happiest thought.” In Einstein’s theory, space and time are not passive spectators of nature, but rather have a life of their own: they can bend, expand, and contract, giving rise to a plethora of phenomena that have changed our understanding of nature, such as the bending of light rays around the Sun, the formation of black holes by the collapse of massive stars, and the existence of “waves of gravity,” what we call gravitational waves. In order to do develop his theory, Einstein relied on abstract mathematical ideas that had been introduced in the mid nineteenth century by Bernhard Riemann.
This marriage between mathematics and physics has been a happy one. Not only has general relativity passed with flying colors all experimental tests it has been subjected so far, but it has also been a fertile ground for the discovery of new mathematical concepts and techniques. In this presentation, we will explore some ideas of Einstein’s theory, how they are connected to mathematics, and why this marriage between mathematics and physics still has many happy years ahead.”
You can watch the video of Prof. Disconzi’s lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Ua12QX93cPk