What Does the Principle of Least Time Have to Do with Quantum Physics?
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Physics Explained is a channel that explores advanced topics in physics without skimping on the mathematical detail. There is a growing community of independent learners who are keen to explore modern ideas in physics with the aid of mathematical reasoning. This channel aims to tackle advanced topics head on whilst at the same time providing a historical narrative to help provide context to the ideas. A bit about my educational background: I have a PhD in theoretical physics, specialising in string theory. I now dedicate most of my my time to physics education. You can help support this channel via the Physics Explained Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/physicsexplained
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In this short video I would like to tell you about the pioneering work of Pierre de Fermat, who discovered that light is the laziest object in the universe, always preferring to take the path that minimises the amount of time spent travelling between two points. But perhaps what is even more exciting is that Fermat’s principle lies at the heart of one of the most successful scientific theories ever created, quantum electrodynamics. In this video I would like to show you why light is so lazy, and how Fermat’s principle connects with our modern formulation of quantum electrodynamics. So, if you are ready for the ride, let's get started. References: Feynman Lectures on Physics - Feynman QED: The strange theory of light and matter - Feynman Fermat’s Principle and Hamilton’s Principle: Does a least action take a least time for happening? - Anderson and Hadi (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1467/1/012038/meta) You can help support this channel via the Physics Explained Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/physicsexplained. You can follow me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/physics_explained_ig You can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhysicsExplain1
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