Scientists have discovered a long known formula for Pi, one of the most important physical constants in the world of pure mathematics, lurking inside the atom of Hydrogen. The discovery was made when using Quantum Mechanics to describe the energy levels in atoms of Hydrogen. Pi, as we are well aware, is the ratio between the Circumference of a circle and it’s diameter. This is the first time that a mathematical term has been found lurking inside Nature and shows an intimate relationship between Quantum Physics and Mathematics.
The discovery was made at the University of Rochester. A particle physicist by the name of Carl Hagen was teaching a class on Quantum Mechanics and was explaining how to use “Variational Principle” to approximate the energy state of Hydrogen atoms.
While he was comparing the values with conventional calculations, he noticed an unusual trend. He asked for the help of a mathematician called Tamar Friedmann, and found out that it was Wallis’ formula for Pi, which has already been proved many times in many ways.
This was the first time ever that a mathematical proof has arisen from the world of Physics. There is widespread excitement regarding this discovery, as it hints at further special relationships between Mathematics and Physics, specifically Quantum Mechanics.
Courtesy: ScienceAlert
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