The symmetry and simplicity of the laws of physics and the Higgs boson

Understand

We describe the theoretical ideas, developed between the 1950s-1970s, which led to the prediction of the Higgs boson, the particle that was discovered in 2012.

• The forces of nature are based on symmetry principles.
• We explain the nature of these symmetries through an economic analogy.
• We also discuss the Higgs mechanism, which is necessary to avoid some of the naive consequences of these symmetries, and to explain various features of elementary particles.