Cliffordians or Cliffhangers, Study Group on Geometric Algebra

Next meeting: 6:30PM Friday, June 27, 2008 in ST256,
ST is the Charlene Nunley, Student Service Center, 7625 Fenton Street     

Old humans, at the moment only old men, but we are not adverse to old women joining us: Alan Bromborsky, Michael Brabanski, Jack Gaffey, Walter Faust, and Harold Williams (host) and now joined by Wayne Warren.  The core group are all NCA, National Capital Astronomers, members, but this is not about astronomy.  The core group could be described vocationally as engineers, mathematicians, and physicist.  They are all interested in the way the universe works and how it might be modeled mathematically.

Younger humans, Montgomery College students who have attended some of these meetings: Alpha Bada, Ian McIntire, Lorena Aries, Georgio Mori-Block, Ahadu Tilahun, Daman Camara, Leah Gold, Tony Johnson, and Chris Leeney.  A group of files on Geometric Algebra collected by Alan Bromborsky most written by others, but some written by Alan is here.  Our study guide for now is the latest introGA11-30-2007.pdf  file. A new file in the GA-SIG directory is GAGC.pdf and its title is "A Survey of Geometric Algebra and Geometric Calculus" by Alan Macdonald of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa so you can see these idea have even spread to Iowa.  So it is time we caught up with the dark side of the moon, if they know it in Iowa, where the corn grows, then Arkansaw and Mississippi, where the cotton grows, can not be far behind!  What is it that we grow in Maryland besides brilliant students?  This document is only 26 pages long with another 4 pages of web links and other references.  It also says on the first page:
“The principal argument for the adoption of geometric algebra is that it provides
a single, simple mathematical framework which eliminates the plethora of diverse
mathematical descriptions and techniques it would otherwise be necessary to learn.”
[9] McRobie, F. A. and J. Lasenby (1999). Simo-Vu Quoc Rods using Clifford Algebra,
Int. J. Numer. Meth. Eng. 45, 377–398.
Furthermore this is true.

Rules:  Old humans pay for their meals that we order to be delivered to the meeting room, younger humans (college students) eat for free.   Coffee and tea and sometimes cake or cookies, a white board, computer with Internet link, and computer video projector are in the  room that we meet in.   We  generally start  by listen to a little  music while eating and then start studying and asking questions.  Lately the music has been by Utah Phillips, a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and self-described "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest".  We are clearly corrupter's of the youth just as Socrates was.  Anyone who is free when we meet and is interested in our study of Geometric Algebra is welcome.  Many more people have been invited by a factor of several than have ever showed up, mostly mathematics and physics faculty from all of the campuses of Montgomery College and students from the "Science Adventure Club" that Harold Williams is the adviser.  Currently we are learning to multiply Multivectors (vectors) in a Linear Space (sometimes called a vector space) over a scaler Fields a Clifford Algebra.  This has great application in engineering, computer science (vision), and physics. 

5:30PM Friday, September 14, 2007 at Mayorga Coffee Factory
6PM Friday, October 5, 2007 at ST301
6PM Friday, October 26, 2007 at ST301
6PM Friday, November 16, 2007 at ST301 directory of pictures from my crummy cell phone camera during this meeting, but very informative about what we do.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 University of MD at College Park Physics Colloquia attended by old humans given by Sean Carroll notes.
6PM Friday, December 7, 2007 at ST301 directory of pictures from my crummy cell phone camera during this meeting, but very informative about what we do.
Noon Friday, January 4, 2008 at ST256, classes have not restarted
6PM Friday, January 11, 2008 at ST256, classes have not restarted
6:30PM Friday, February 15, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, February 22, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, March 21, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, March 28, 2008 at ST256 a directory of pictures taken on this date with my wife's digital camera.
6:30PM Friday, April 18, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, April 25, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, May 16, 2008 at ST256 after college commencement!  We will decide on future dates this summer.
6:30PM Friday, May 30, 2008 at ST256
6:30PM Friday, June 13, 2008 at ST256   
  Future dates! 
6:30PM Friday, June 27, 2008 at ST256   
Links:
Geometric Algebra Net at University of Amsterdam, Computer Scientist; support for the excellent book "Geometric Algebra for Computer Science, an object oriented approach to Geometry"
Geometric Calculus: David Hestenes and Group at the University of Arizonia, Physicist
Geometric Algebra for Physicist: Chris Doran and Anthony Lasenby at Cambridge University
Scientific Python recommended by Alan Bromborsky

Montgomery College's Planetarium home page.

web page by Dr. Harold Williams, last modified 7:53PM June 19,  2008.