Finding the underlying symmetries behind the fundamental components of matter

Capítulo 2.Unraveling the structure behind the components of matter and the fundamental laws governing their interactions is the ultimate goal of particle physics. One of the central questions in the Standard Model is the origin of the fermion family replication, which may point towards a hidden flavour symmetry. Many experiments will be soon addressing this issue by exploring the flavour sector with impressive sensitivities. Understanding other symmetries, such as CPT and lepton or baryon numbers, is also crucial, since their violation would have dramatic consequences for the shape of the underlying physics. Other open questions, such as the origin of the chiral character of the weak interactions, the stability of the particle that may constitute the dark matter of the Universe and the possible unification of the fundamental interactions at high energies, may also be associated to the existence of new symmetries and dynamics, possibly better described with a new mathematical language.Peer reviewe