Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This paper is an English translation of a contribution to the latest German edition (2017) of Hermann Weyl's classic text "Symmetry", edited and annotated by Erhard Scholz, Klaus Volkert, and myself. In this contribution I discuss various physical aspects of the notion of symmetry and place them in context from the perspective of theoretical physics. In particular, a distinction is drawn between symmetries of individual configurations (solutions of equilibrium equations or equations of motion) and symmetries of the laws themselves. Likewise, a distinction is made between those operations that alter physical states and so-called gauge symmetries, which leave physical states unchanged and merely represent a redundancy in the mathematical description. Besides gauge symmetries, I comment on the connection to conservation laws, symmetry breaking, and the philosophy of space.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Giulini, Domenico
Institution: Leibniz University Hannover
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221509649