paper

Symmetry and symmetry breaking in particle physics

arXiv:hep-th/9803159

Abstract

Symmetry, in particular gauge symmetry, is a fundamental principle in theoretical physics. It is intimately connected to the geometry of fibre bundles. A refinement to the gauge principle, known as ``spontaneous symmetry breaking'', leads to one of the most successful theories in modern particle physics. In this short talk, I shall try to give a taste of this beautiful and exciting concept.

Invited talk at the 8th General Meeting of European Women in Mathematics, Trieste December 1997, given to a general audience of mathematicians, 12 pages, Latex, 1 figure using eps