Lee Smolin’s trouble with physics and fractal spacetime.

13th December, 2010.
E-infinity communication No. 56

Lee Smolin’s trouble with physics and fractal spacetime.

As things stand at this point in time, Prof. Lee Smolin is probably the most influential scientist in theoretical physics. Smolin has a talent for both serious fundamental science as well a popular science writing in a beyond measure manner. A handful of people could be compared to Smolin’s dual role in science such as R. Penrose but then he is (wrongly) considered by physicists to be only a mathematician. His latest book which is yet again a best seller is not only worth reading for those working in E-infinity, it is a must. Another reason for discussing his book is the involvement of Prof. Lee Smolin with fractals in high energy physics in general as well as the involvement of many of his associate in the Perimeter Inst. and elsewhere with the subject of fractal spacetime.
There are countless points in Lee Smolin’s book which we would like to comment upon and therefore we have to be very choosy and concentrate on what is useful and important to E-infinity. First and foremost there is no mention what so ever of fractal spacetime in the book of Smolin. This is surprising given his documented interest in this subject. In fact there is no mention at all of the word fractal in the entire book. This could be understandable in a mathematical book where pure mathematicians exchange the word fractal with other words like foliation for instance. However Smolin’s book is a popular book and fractal is the most popular word for foliation and continuous geometry or noncommutative geometry. Even the book of Field Medalist A. Connes who is held by Smolin and our group in high esteem occasionally speaks of fractals. We very much hope that no misconception or misunderstanding has prejudiced Prof. Lee Smolin against fractal spacetime because our group needs and hopes for his scientific weight and support.
On page 313 Smolin considers the category of researcher referred to by him as seers and considers their opinion about background-independent approach. E-infinity was developed using the quantum sets methodology of D. Finkelstein. On page 322 Smolin says that D. Finkelstein is a deep thinker (a seer) who does physics differently from anyone else. He talks of the problems that people like Finkelstein would face today if they tried to get funding or a professorship like Finkelstein did. He says it would be impossible today. We in E-infinity do not care about funding or professorships. However we do care that Lee Smolin extends to our work the same tolerance he extended to Finkelstein so that we can at least see that one person, Smolin, is still conducting science ethics and science policy in the same way as in the golden age of science and physics.
On pages 245-247 Smolin gives an apt description of A. Connes and his noncommutative geometry with which we agree completely. There is only one point here. Alain Connes works is a de facto fractal universe. His work is exactly like that of Mohamed El Naschie anchored in von Neumann’s continuous geometry, K-theory and E-infinity rings and groups. On page 313 Smolin mentions the work of Fay Dowker and R. Sorkin. Well both work with partially ordered sets. In E-infinity we work with random Cantor sets. In our case we do not even need a computer to reach the same excellent results which R. Loll and J. Ambjorn reached. The work of both of these two excellent scientists is considered by L. Smolin on pages 242 and 243. Both Loll and Ambjorn worked indirectly in fractal spacetime and published many papers on that including one in Scientific American which we hoped and wished they had acknowledged our work but they did not. This is sad but everyone could overlook important papers in the heat of publication fever. It is not tragic. However and this is a most polite and respectful hint to Prof. Smolin personally……. Is it not more often the case that those who made it big often forget and do not care about those who did not yet make it that big? We remind Prof. L. Smolin of the wonderful story of A. Connes on page 275 of his wonderful book. In all fairness, with this we rest our case, at least here.
E-infinity Group.
P.S.
Smolin’s book is published by Penguin, England (2006). Price £25.- with £5 discount.