In mathematical physics, new problems in physics give rise to new mathematics to solve them, while new mathematics open doors to understandings of the physical universe. Newton invented modern calculus because he needed it to understand mechanics – and calculus went on to redefine all of physics. The development of quantum theory in the 20th century both spurred and was spurred by advances in mathematical fields such as linear algebra and functional analysis. Perimeter’s mathematical physics researchers continue this grand tradition.
