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Invariance

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Invariance, in general, means that quantities or objects do not change with respect to transformations [7]. Invariance of quantities and objects can be distinguished from ► covariance which refers to form invariance of laws and equations [8]. In mathematics, a function of coordinates is called invariant with respect to a transformation T, if the function remains unchanged by application of T to the coordinates. In geometry, for example, lengths and angles are invariants with respect to orthogonal transformations of Cartesian coordinates. Double proportions are invariants of projective transformations. In physics, basic quantities like energy, linear momentum, or angular momentum are invariants, because their conservation results from the ► symmetry properties of the interactions under global space and time continuous transformations.

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Primary Literature

  1. E. Noether: Invariante Variationsprobleme. Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, Math. Phys. Kl. (1918) 235–257

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Mainzer, K. (2009). Invariance. In: Greenberger, D., Hentschel, K., Weinert, F. (eds) Compendium of Quantum Physics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70626-7_100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70626-7_100

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