Symmetry-cum-Unification in physical theories

Abstract

A new kind of duality in physical sciences–involving Symmetry (S )on the one hand and Unification(U) on the other– is proposed, wherein the two partners obey, not the traditional feature of mutual incompatibility of two canonically conjugate variables, but rather are bound by a cause-effect type of relationship, albeit at a probabilistic level. While a precise mathematical formulation of such relationship is still a distant goal, the possible impact of this new kind of duality on the growth of physical theories vis-a-vis experiment is envisaged.