Physics Documentation Hub

The fundamental laws that govern matter, energy, space, and time — from falling apples to the quantum vacuum.

A reference wiki for physics, pairing rigorous mathematics with physical intuition. Each page builds from the core idea through the formalism to where it applies. Pick a topic below, or follow a guided path if you are just getting started.

Browse by Topic

Core Physics

The classical pillars — the physics of everyday scales, energy, and the structure of spacetime.

Classical Mechanics

Newton's laws, the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, conservation laws, and chaos.

Thermodynamics

Heat, work, entropy, and the four laws governing every engine and the fate of the universe.

Statistical Mechanics

How microscopic randomness becomes macroscopic law — ensembles, partition functions, phase transitions.

Relativity

Special and general relativity: spacetime, $E=mc^2$, curved geometry, and gravity as geometry.

Quantum & Advanced

The quantum world and the many-body, high-energy, and theoretical frontiers built on top of it.

Quantum Mechanics

Wave functions, the uncertainty principle, measurement, and the strange logic of the quantum world.

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum mechanics + special relativity. Particles as field excitations; the Standard Model.

Condensed Matter

Solids, superconductors, topological materials, and emergent collective phenomena.

String Theory

Extra dimensions, dualities, branes, and the quest for a quantum theory of gravity.

Methods

Computational Physics

Numerical integration, Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, PDE solvers, and machine learning for physics.

How These Topics Connect

Physics is not a list of separate subjects — each field grows out of and feeds back into the others. The map below traces the main lines of descent.

graph TD
    CM[Classical Mechanics]
    TH[Thermodynamics]
    SR[Special Relativity]
    GR[General Relativity]
    SM[Statistical Mechanics]
    QM[Quantum Mechanics]
    QFT[Quantum Field Theory]
    CMP[Condensed Matter]
    ST[String Theory]
    COMP[Computational Physics]

    CM --> SM
    TH --> SM
    CM --> SR
    SR --> GR
    CM --> QM
    QM --> QFT
    SR --> QFT
    SM --> CMP
    QM --> CMP
    QFT --> CMP
    QFT --> ST
    GR --> ST
    COMP -.-> CM
    COMP -.-> QM
    COMP -.-> SM

    style CM fill:#11998e,color:#fff
    style QM fill:#11998e,color:#fff
    style ST fill:#38ef7d,color:#222
    style COMP fill:#ccf,color:#222

Solid arrows: one theory is built on or reduces to another. Dashed arrows: computational methods support every field.

Guided Paths

New to physics: start with Classical Mechanics to build intuition for force, energy, and motion.
Undergraduate sequence: Classical Mechanics → Quantum Mechanics → Thermodynamics → Statistical Mechanics → Relativity.
Graduate / research: dive into QFT, Condensed Matter, or String Theory, with Computational Physics as a toolbox.

Quantum Computing — where quantum mechanics meets information processing.
Quantum Algorithms Research — advanced quantum information and algorithms.
AI Mathematics — statistical-mechanics connections to machine learning.
Advanced Research Topics — graduate-level physics and mathematics.
Physics Reference — CODATA constants, key equations, and unit conversions.

This physics documentation combines rigorous mathematical treatment with intuitive explanations. For corrections or suggestions, please visit our GitHub repository.