physics

Ulf Lindström

Ulf Lindström is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ulf Lindström rather than just read about it. In short: Ulf Lindström (born 12 November 1947) is a Swedish theoretical physicist working in the fields of string theory, supersymmetry, and general relativity. He earned his fil. kand. university degree at Stockholm University in 1972 and continued under the supervision of Bertel Laurent with doctoral studies.

Key takeaways

Ulf Lindström belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ulf Lindström to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ulf Lindström from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ulf Lindström (born 12 November 1947) is a Swedish theoretical physicist working in the fields of string theory, supersymmetry, and general relativity. He earned his fil. kand. university degree at Stockholm University in 1972 and continued under the supervision of Bertel Laurent with doctoral studies. The title of his PhD thesis was "Extensions of general relativity: scalar tensor theory, topology of space-time and supergravity." He spent the year 1978-1979 at Brandeis University as a post-doc working with Stanley Deser, and after getting his doctoral degree, became a docent in Stockholm. During 1986-1987, he spent time as a research fellow at Stony Brook University. In 2002 he moved from Stockholm University to Uppsala University where he is now the chairman of the theoretical physics department. His most well-known contributions to theoretical physics are in the field of supersymmetry where he was one of the first people to discuss the hyper-Kähler quotient construction which was later generalized and discussed in full detail by Hitchin, Karlhede, Lindström and Roček. Also, together with Martin Roček, he has developed the notion of "projective superspace". Another important result was the construction (together with Paul Howe) of an eight-loop counterterm in N=8 supergravity which became part of the motivation to consider string theory as the major candidate for a finite quantum theory of gravity. He was also among the first to discuss the zero-tension limit of string theory and has lately been involved in developing the notion (introduced by Nigel Hitchin) of generalized complex geometry. He has for many years been the chairman of the Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture committee. A conference was held in honor of his 60th birthday in November 2007.

References

Hitchin, N., Karlhede, A., Lindström, U. and Roček, M., Hyperkahler Metrics and Supersymmetry, Communications in Mathematical Physics 108 (1987) 535. Howe, P. S. and Lindstrom, U., Higher Order Invariants In Extended Supergravity, Nuclear Physics B 181 (1981) 487.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ulf Lindström

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ulf Lindström claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ulf Lindström before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ulf Lindström ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ulf Lindström

In research: Ulf Lindström appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ulf Lindström in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ulf Lindström is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1947 births, Living people, Scientists from Stockholm, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ulf Lindström outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ulf Lindström in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ulf Lindström means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ulf Lindström out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ulf Lindström in simple terms?

Why does Ulf Lindström matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ulf Lindström?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ulf Lindström.