Graduate Student Colloquium

Anthony McCormick, Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo

"Physics for Mathematicians"

What is Newton really saying when he writes F=ma? We know the a stands for acceleration but the acceleration of what? The F is supposed to be the total force acting on the system but what precisely is meant by "force"? What is a "mechanical system"? What does Newton mean by an "inertial reference frame"? What is space? Time? I'll attempt to answer these questions in a way satisfactory for mathematicians. Furthermore, if time permits, I'll try to explain some of the ideas behind modern physics and how mathematicians can extract mathematically relevant ideas from physics talks.

MC 5479