Dirac equation in the algebra of physical space Dirac equation in the algebra of physical space The Dirac equation, as the relativistic equation that describes spin 1/2 particles in quantum mechanics, can be written in terms of the Algebra of physical space (APS), which is a case of a Clifford algebra or geometric algebra that is based on the use of paravectors. The Dirac equation in APS, including the electromagnetic interaction, reads Another form of the Dirac equation in terms of the Space time algebra was given earlier by David Hestenes. In general, the Dirac equation in the formalism of geometric algebra has the advantage of providing a
History of variational principles in physics History of variational principles in physics A variational principle in physics is an alternative method for determining the state or dynamics of a physical system, by identifying it as an extremum (minimum, maximum or saddle point) of a function or functional. This article describes the historical development of such principles. Variational principles are found among earlier ideas in surveying and optics. The rope stretchers of ancient Egypt stretched corded ropes between two points to measure the path which minimized the distance of separation, and Claudius Ptolemy, in his Geographia (Bk 1, Ch 2), emphasized that one must correct for "deviations