678th Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Seminar
Hundred Years of Gauge Theory
The seminar will take place from July 30 to August 3, 2018, at Physikzentrum Bad Honnef.
In the Centenary of the publication of Hermann Weyl's masterpiece Raum-Zeit-Materie, this workshop aims at stimulating the reflection upon the origin and development of gauge theory and its scientific and philosophical importance. Taking into account one of the central concepts of Weyl's work, symmetry, this workshop sheds light on several aspects of Weyl's work and gauge theory and connects theoretical physics with other fields. Plenary lectures will be given by theoretical and experimental physicists, mathematicians, historians, and philosophers of science. This approach will allow detailed and broader discussions on questions such as
- Which role does Weyl's Raum-Zeit-Materie play in the research fields of gauge theory and gravity?
- Which role did Weyl's ideas play and still play in the philosophy of science?
- Can gravitation and quantum theory be consistently unified?
- How well is gauge theory experimentally tested?
- Which is the role that gauge theory play for the relation of mathematics to physics?
Apart from the invited speakers, we will be able to accommodate additional participants, especially young scientists, and we will also give them the opportunity to present a poster at a dedicated poster session.
The total number of participants is limited to 75.