A Hundred Years to Einstein's Theory of Relativity: a Search for Beauty, Simplicity and Symmetry.

An Abstract

The theory of relativity is strongly motivated by a search for beauty, simplicity and symmetry. The Special Theory of Relativity can be viewed as an invariant- theory for the Lorentz transformation, where the General Theory of Relativity as an invariant -theory for certain gauge - transformation.

Convinced in his perception of the beauty and simplicity of nature, Einstein devoted many years for the search of a Grand Unification Theory where all forces and particles of nature come together under a simple set of equations. This was a direct continuation of Maxwell's unification of electric and magnetic forces towards the end of the 19-th century.

Gauge theories were the natural successors of the General Theory of Relativity, for they used similar symmetries. Also they could be applied for in the unification of forces.

In retrospective view, the Theory of Relativity and its 'satellites' Gauge theories represents a change in the place of mathematics in physical theories. In Relativity we demand that Nature satisfy certain symmetries. In Gauge theory we go further and invent physical particles using mathematical symmetry as its sole justification.