Parity (physics)

In physics, a parity transformation (also called parity inversion) is the simultaneous flip in the sign of all spatial coordinates:

Related Topics:
Physics - Inversion - Coordinate

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:P: egin{pmatrix}x\y\zend{pmatrix} mapsto -egin{pmatrix}x\y\zend{pmatrix}

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A 3×3 matrix representation of P would have determinant equal to -1, and hence cannot reduce to a rotation. In a two-dimensional plane, parity is the same as a rotation by 180 degrees.

Related Topics:
Determinant - Rotation

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