A Calabi-Yau space is a mathematical construction used by physicists to describe parts of nature that are too small to see with the human eye. Physicists use Calabi-Yau spaces in studying high energy physics of which string theory is a part. These structures add 6, 7, or more dimensions to the four dimension (three for space, one for time) model of the universe.
The study of Calabi-Yau spaces is part of a mathematical theory known as ‘manifold theory.’ These tiny parts are interesting because although they are small, they are also very high in energy. It is like they are compressed like a spring, or like a very long rubber band wrapped around a golf ball. And the smaller we go the more energy the tiny particles contain. These models are named for mathematicians Eugenio Calabi and Shing-Tung Yau.



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