Theorie Kolloquium | April 24, 16:30
On the metamorphoses of Maxwell's equations of electrodynamics since 1865: spotlights on the history of classical electrodynamics
Starting with Maxwell's equations for the electromagnetic field
(1865), we first point out how Maxwell brought his system of equations
into quaternionic form. Subsequently, we recognize that what we call
Maxwell's equations nowadays is a creation of Heaviside and Hertz. Then
we study the impact of special and of general relativity on Maxwell's
equations. In particular we follow up the metric-free and topological
version of Maxwell's equations via exterior differential forms and
period integrals and discuss some applications. Alternative
formulations via spinors, Clifford algebras, chains and
cochains... are shortly mentioned.
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Cologne
Seminar Room TP 0.03
Contact: not specified