A century of Noether's theorem

Chris Quigg, Distinguished Scientist Emeritus at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, hosts this public talk looking at the remarkable career of renowned mathematician Emmy Noether.

In the summer of 1918, Emmy Noether published the theorem that now bears her name, establishing a profound two-way connection between symmetries and conservation laws. The influence of this insight is pervasive in physics; it underlies all of our theories of the fundamental interactions and gives meaning to conservation laws that elevates them beyond useful empirical rules. Noether’s papers, lectures, and personal interactions with students and colleagues drove the development of abstract algebra, establishing her in the pantheon of twentieth-century mathematicians. This talk traces her path from Erlangen through Göttingen to a brief but happy exile at Bryn Mawr College, illustrating the importance of 'Noether’s theorem' for the way we think today.

Chris Quigg's research spans many topics in particle physics from heavy quarks through cosmic neutrinos. His work on electroweak symmetry breaking and supercollider physics, which was recognised by the 2011 J J Sakurai Prize of the American Physical Society for outstanding achievement in particle theory, charted the course for exploration at Fermilab’s Tevatron and CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. His current research centres on experiments at the LHC. When not contemplating Nature’s secrets, he can be found hiking Europe’s long-distance trails. Chris's new book, Grace in All Simplicity: Beauty, Truth, and Wonders on the Path to the Higgs Boson and New Laws of Nature, with co-author Robert Cahn, leads readers on a compelling tour of the people, places, instruments, and ideas of particle physics.

The talk will be followed by a Q&A.

This event will take place in the Department of Physics and will also be livestreamed. It is free to attend but registration is required to attend in person or online; please register using the link below.