In geometry and other fields, asymmetry is an absence or violation of symmetry in an object or process, such that some transformation (such as reflection in space) results in an observable difference. Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in precise terms or in more aesthetic terms. The absence of or violation of symmetry that are either expected or desired can have important consequences for a system.
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👉 Asymmetry in the context of Arrow of time
The arrow of time, also called time's arrow, is the concept positing the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time. It was developed in 1927 by the British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, and is an unsolved general physics question. This direction, according to Eddington, could be determined by studying the organization of atoms, molecules, and bodies, and might be drawn upon a four-dimensional relativistic map of the world ("a solid block of paper").
The arrow of time paradox was originally recognized in the 1800s for gases (and other substances) as a discrepancy between microscopic and macroscopic description of thermodynamics / statistical physics. At the microscopic level physical processes are believed to be either entirely or mostly time-symmetric: if the direction of time were to reverse, the theoretical statements that describe them would remain true. Yet at the macroscopic level it often appears that this is not the case: there is an obvious direction (or flow) of time.
In this Dossier
Asymmetry in the context of Symmetry
Symmetry (from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría) 'agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement') in everyday life refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, the term has a more precise definition and is usually used to refer to an object that is invariant under some transformations, such as translation, reflection, rotation, or scaling. Although these two meanings of the word can sometimes be told apart, they are intricately related, and hence are discussed together in this article.
Mathematical symmetry may be observed with respect to the passage of time; as a spatial relationship; through geometric transformations; through other kinds of functional transformations; and as an aspect of abstract objects, including theoretic models, language, and music.
Asymmetry in the context of Reflection symmetry
In mathematics, reflection symmetry, line symmetry, mirror symmetry, or mirror-image symmetry is symmetry with respect to a reflection. That is, a figure which does not change upon undergoing a reflection has reflectional symmetry.
In two-dimensional space, there is a line/axis of symmetry, in three-dimensional space, there is a plane of symmetry. An object or figure which is indistinguishable from its transformed image is called mirror symmetric.
Asymmetry in the context of Chiral
Chirality (/kaɪˈrælɪti/) is the property of an object not being identical to its mirror image. An object is chiral if it is not identical to its mirror image; that is, it cannot be superposed (not to be confused with superimposed) onto it. Conversely, an object is achiral (sometimes also amphichiral) if its mirror image cannot be distinguished from the object (i.e. can be superposed onto its mirror image), such as a sphere. A chiral object and its mirror image are called enantiomorphs (Greek, "opposite forms") or, when referring to molecules, enantiomers. Chirality is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science.
Human hands are perhaps the most recognized example of chirality. The left hand is a non-superposable mirror image of the right hand; no matter how the two hands are oriented, it is impossible for all the major features of both hands to coincide across all axes. This difference in symmetry becomes obvious if someone attempts to shake the right hand of a person using their left hand, or if a left-handed glove is placed on a right hand.
Asymmetry in the context of Twistor space
In mathematics and theoretical physics (especially twistor theory), twistor space is the complex vector space of solutions of the twistor equation . It was described in the 1960s by Roger Penrose and Malcolm MacCallum. According to Andrew Hodges, twistor space is useful for conceptualizing the way photons travel through space, using four complex numbers. He also posits that twistor space may aid in understanding the asymmetry of the weak nuclear force.
