For decades, mathematicians have struggled to understand matrices that reflect both order and randomness, like those that model semiconductors.
A new method could change that.
Recent research has made a significant mathematical advance in understanding Anderson localization, the phenomenon where disorder in a material (like impurities in silicon) can stop electron flow. Researchers proved that, for a simplified model called band matrices, electrons do become trapped ("localized") with enough disorder. This breakthrough, achieved by Yan Yau and Jun Yin’s team, uses a new mathematical technique and brings us closer to fully understanding Anderson’s original model and designing materials with specific electronic properties. It’s a key step in understanding systems between order and randomness.
A new method could change that.
Recent research has made a significant mathematical advance in understanding Anderson localization, the phenomenon where disorder in a material (like impurities in silicon) can stop electron flow. Researchers proved that, for a simplified model called band matrices, electrons do become trapped ("localized") with enough disorder. This breakthrough, achieved by Yan Yau and Jun Yin’s team, uses a new mathematical technique and brings us closer to fully understanding Anderson’s original model and designing materials with specific electronic properties. It’s a key step in understanding systems between order and randomness.
A new mathematical proof resolves a 35-year-old bet between Noga Alon and Peter Sarnak regarding the prevalence of optimal expander graphs, demonstrating that both mathematicians were partially incorrect. The proof, building on work in random matrix theory, reveals that approximately 69% of regular graphs are Ramanujan graphs.
Experiments that test physics and philosophy as 'a single whole' may be our only route to surefire knowledge about the universe.
Experimental metaphysics allows us to test fundamental assumptions about reality using scientific methods.
* The article discusses the work of key figures like John Stewart Bell, Alain Aspect, and Eric Cavalcanti.
* Experiments testing Bell's theorem and Wigner's friend paradox have led to a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.
* The future of experimental metaphysics is promising, with ongoing research exploring the implications for our understanding of consciousness, quantum gravity, and the nature of reality itself.
The article emphasizes that experimental metaphysics is not just a philosophical exercise but a vital field of research that is pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.
Experimental metaphysics allows us to test fundamental assumptions about reality using scientific methods.
* The article discusses the work of key figures like John Stewart Bell, Alain Aspect, and Eric Cavalcanti.
* Experiments testing Bell's theorem and Wigner's friend paradox have led to a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.
* The future of experimental metaphysics is promising, with ongoing research exploring the implications for our understanding of consciousness, quantum gravity, and the nature of reality itself.
The article emphasizes that experimental metaphysics is not just a philosophical exercise but a vital field of research that is pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.
