Discovering Group Theory, Day 16

On Day 16, we finished up complex numbers in polar form and introduced several new concepts:

• The circle group T and unitary group U(1)
• Infinite vs finite groups
• Continuous vs discrete groups
  

We also started going through t’Hooft’s Scientific American article “Gauge Theories of the Forces between Elementary Particles“, which proved to be challenging but exciting. We discussed the Standard Model of particle physics and the distinction between spacetime symmetries and internal symmetries.