Harvard String Theorist Pens Book On Puzzles And The Universe

Press release from Cumrun Vafa:

July 28, 2020

There’s a lot about the universe that is frankly, quite puzzling. But what if a puzzle is just what you needed to better understand the fundamental laws of the cosmos?

That’s exactly the goal of Puzzles to Unravel the Universe, by Harvard Physics Professor Cumrun Vafa, now available on Kindle and Amazon. The book features endorsements by physicist Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe and theoretical physicist Edward Witten.

As a child, Vafa was fascinated by puzzles and even incorporated them into his physics course for freshmen students at Harvard where he has taught theoretical physics since 1985.

“Puzzles can unravel mysteries of the universe and illustrate the simplicity of physical laws and the elegance of mathematics,” said Vafa. “Mathematical puzzles are not only great fun to work on, but deeply satisfying because they capture some deeper meaning about physical reality, beyond just a puzzle.”

For example, to illustrate how symmetries can spontaneously break, an important concept in modern physics, which is the fundamental reason why particles have mass, the author poses this problem:

You have four cities on four corners of a square; What is the shortest highway system connecting all four cities?

Solution? It turns out that it is not the obvious answer. You’ll have to get the book to figure this one out!

“Puzzles to Unravel the Universe is a wonderful survey of concepts central to modern physics and mathematics explored through the medium of puzzles. This is one of the most unusual and captivating approaches I have ever encountered, allowing the reader–whether novice or expert–to learn through the enjoyment of solving brain-teasers. What a fun and effective way to actively absorb essential and cutting-edge ideas from one of the world’s greatest physicists.” –Brian Greene

“This book offers a fascinating and unusual tour of advanced ideas in physics and mathematics, illustrated with elementary and entertaining puzzles. Readers will find much to enjoy and learn from.” –Edward Witten

Vafa is the Hollis Professor of Mathematicks and Natural Philosophy in the Physics Department at Harvard University. He is world-renowned for his groundbreaking work in string theory. He is one of the founders of the duality revolution in string theory, which has reshaped our understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe. He has received numerous prizes and recognitions for his work on theoretical physics, including the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and the 2008 Dirac Medal from the ICTP.

Vafa is also a co-author of Mirror Symmetry. For more information about the author see his website: www.cumrunvafa.org

This press release was produced by Cumrun Vafa. The views expressed here are the author's own.