In mathematical physics, especially as introduced into statistical mechanics and thermodynamics by J. Willard Gibbs in 1878, an ensemble (also statistical ensemble or thermodynamic ensemble) is an ...

In 1843, William Rowan Hamilton had a four-dimensional flash of insight that still shapes our three-dimensional world. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Pre-viewing the rainbow -- Invisible origins and ancient traditions -- A quiet millennium: from the early Middle Ages into the European Renaissance -- The age of trigonometry: Europe, 1540-1660 -- The ...

On a warm summer evening, a visitor to 1920s Göttingen, Germany, might have heard the hubbub of a party from an apartment on Friedländer Way. A glimpse through the window would reveal a gathering of ...

Natural appeal Edward Frenkel's new book looks at the beauty of mathematics such as symmetry. (Courtesy: iStockphoto/MarcelC) Mathematics has been around for thousands of years, and this has given it ...

For the last 40 years, a dedicated group of theoretical physicists has been beavering away on an ambitious project to create a quantum theory of gravity and unify the four forces of nature. Using ...