Maxwell’s Theory of Electromagnetism

A Concise Summary for Aliens

Moataz H. Emam*

Department of Physics
SUNY Cortland
Cortland, New York 13045, USA
This document was last updated: April 29, 2023

In the not-too-distant future, LIGO1 receives a series of gravitational waves from a source in
our stellar neighborhood. The signal is deemed intelligent in origin; in other words it is not the
result of a natural phenomenon. Scientists realize that there is an intelligent civilization on the
other end of the message. After learning their code, humanity starts a conversation with them.
To our surprise, we realize that this civilization has not discovered the laws of electromagnetism.
Their communications methods involve only gravitational waves. We propose to teach them how
to build an electromagnetic waves transmitter, so that communication would be easier and cheaper
(at least for us). In order to achieve this, we have to teach them electromagnetism from scratch.
Because it is very expensive to send gravitational waves, we need to make our messages to them as
short as possible, yet to contain all the necessary information for them to deduce the entire theory
of electromagnetism and its applications. Knowing that now they understand our language as well
as our mathematical notation, you are assigned the following task:
“Write down a single set of mathematical equations that contains the minimum information for
the aliens to derive the rest of electromagnetism.”
Based on your message, the aliens should be able, given enough time and enough of their people
working on it, to deduce everything they need, all the way up to building a radio transmitter.
After a bit of thought, and rummaging through your notes, you realize that the microscopic
vacuum Maxwell equations are indeed the necessary minimum. So your message is:
*
moataz.emam@cortland.edu.
1
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory
designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to develop gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool.
 “Given electric charge density ρ (r, t) and electric current density J (r, t) = ρv, define two vector
fields E (r, t) (the electric field), and B (r, t) (the magnetic induction field) that satisfy:

ρ
Gauss′ law


∇·E = (1)
εo
∇ · B = 0 (the no monopoles law) (2)
∂B
Faraday′ s law


∇×E+ = 0 (3)
∂t
∂E
∇ × B − µ o εo = µo J (Ampere − Maxwell law) . (4)
∂t

End of message.”
From this message alone, you realize, the aliens can derive Coulomb’s law, the Biot-Savart law,
the scalar potential, the vector potential, multipole expansions, modeling dielectric and magnetized
materials, the behavior of fields in conductors, the boundary conditions, the continuity equation,
circuits, electromagnetic waves, the Poynting vector, Maxwell’s stress tensor; in short just about
everything else up to applications that don’t involve quantum mechanical phenomena2 . The com-
pactness of this message is in itself a powerful testimony to Maxwell’s genius. You really need no
more than this. However, it may occur to you after you had sent the message that the following
formula should also have been sent:

F = q (E + v × B) . (5)

Known as the “Lorentz equation,” (5) teaches the aliens the force that electric and magnetic
fields impose on a charge q which may be moving with a velocity v. One then hopes that those
aliens are aware of Newton’s laws, since (5) technically belongs to the realm of mechanics, allowing
them to calculate the trajectories of particles in electromagnetic fields.
A while later, and based on further correspondence, you realize that the aliens are not proceeding
fast enough. So you are assigned the task of sending them a second set of equations to help the
process along. Your choice falls on Maxwell’s macroscopic equations and your second message is:
2
Quantum mechanics is needed for diodes and transistors, hence, unless they already know quantum mechanics,
the aliens may not be able to build a modern radio transmitter, rather something like the device that Heinrich
Hertz built in the nineteenth century to produce electromagnetic waves, which should be enough for our immediate
purposes.

2
 “Given a polarization density P (r, t), and a magnetization density M (r, t) (assuming they
have taught themselves what dipoles are), we further define the displacement field D (r, t) and the
B
magnetic field H (r, t) such that D (r, t) = εo E − P, and H (r, t) = µo − M satisfying:

Gauss′ law


∇·D = ρ (6)

∇·B = 0 (the no monopoles law) (7)

∂B
Faraday′ s law


∇×E+ = 0 (8)
∂t
∂D
∇×H− = J (Ampere − Maxwell law) . (9)
∂t
End of message.”
Once again you wait and continue to converse with them, periodically checking on their progress.
These aliens are smart, they probably need no further hints, however, if you do notice that they
needed an additional push, you may decide to send them the next level of equations. These are:
“Define the scalar potential field V (r, t) and the vector potential field A (r, t) by
∂A
E = −∇V −
∂t
B = ∇ × A, (10)

which, along with Gauss’ law and the Ampere-Maxwell law, lead to
∂2V ρ
∇ 2 V − εo µ o = −
∂t2 εo
∂2A
∇ 2 A − εo µ o 2 = −µo J. (11)
∂t
End of message.”
It is also possible, you realize, to actually do things backwards. For example, one may send the
very first message with only equations (11), which along with (5), can be used to derive everything
else. Mathematically speaking, (11) are indeed equivalent to the full set of Maxwell’s equations,
and as such may be sent alone.
Finally, it is worthwhile to note that the way all of the above equations are usually written is
based on the mathematics of ordinary three-dimensional vector fields. There are other languages.
For example, one may rewrite all of them using the so-called tensor language in four-dimensional
spacetime. This requires a deep study of the special and general theories of relativity. The number
of equations usually drops by half in this language. For example, both equations (11) become one:

∇ α ∇ α Aβ = µ o J β , (12)

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and the Maxwell equations themselves drop down to only two:

∇α F αβ = µo J β (13)

∂α Fβγ + ∂γ Fαβ + ∂β Fγα = 0, (14)

where (13) is both Gauss and the Ampere-Maxwell laws in one, and (14) includes the no-monopoles
and Faraday’s laws. It gets even more interesting once we move on to another mathematical
language known as “differential forms,” in which (12) becomes even ‘simpler:’

∆A = µo J, (15)

and the vacuum Maxwell equations are now

dF = 0

d† F = µo J. (16)

The meaning of these notations doesn’t matter3 , the point is that there is a certain simplicity
in them. It is indeed mind boggling that all of electrodynamics is encoded inside either (15) or
(16). In other words your message to the aliens could, at least in principle, be just equation (15);
along with the appropriate definitions. It is also my experience, validated over the years, that the
simpler the notation is, the more depth in the mathematics. It is like a sign from nature that
physics is ultimately based on very simple principles. This fact has prompted physicists to ask:
“Can all of fundamental physics, which includes the four basic forces of nature4 be reduced to
a basic set of principles or equations, that could, to coin a phrase, fit on one side of a t-shirt?”
This is the infamous search for a Theory of Everything, the Holy Grail of physics. Science has
already confirmed that two of these forces, the electromagnetic and the weak nuclear force, can be
described by one theory; the so-called Electroweak model. The search for a theory that includes
all four together is ongoing, with one candidate on the table: Superstring theory. Unfortunately,
unlike Maxwell’s theory and the electroweak model, there is to date no experimental verification of
superstrings. But the search is ongoing, and one day, ...., one day.

3
If you do wish to learn this material it might take you some time. I recommend my own book -
https://a.co/d/dhxOsIv, since, obviously, I think it is the best.
4
The electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and gravity.