What kind of shape does a 10-dimensional universe have?

Answer 1

We observe four dimensions everyday, three spatial and time.
But...theories such as string theory predict that the space we live in has in fact many more dimensions (frequently 10, 11 or 26), but that the universe measured along these additional dimensions is subatomic in size. As a result, we perceive only the three spatial dimensions that have macroscopic size.

This is not so strange as it sounds, which I'll show with an example. Imagine you are in an airplane, flying over sea. Seen from a height, the sea looks flat, two-dimensional. But when the plane looses height we start to perceive the waves, that move in a third direction we could not see before.

The universe could be the same. Four macroscopic dimensions and a few more, hidden ones. We can only perceive them for instance, by the small effects their existence might have on subatomic particles.

Answer 2

Well, it would look exactly like this one.

The theories that introduce 10 (more correctly 11) extra dimensions do so to make the math work. It is clear from observation that the right answer for the number of dimensions is 3 space plus one time.

So either these extra dimensions are mathematical artefacts or they exist only at the very small scales of subnuclear particles. At our scale this higher dimensional universe must look exactly and precisely like the one we see in every detail or the theory is just wrong.

Answer 3

In 1919, Polish mathematician Theodor Kaluza proposed that the existence of a fourth spatial dimension might allow the linking of general relativity and electromagnetic theory. The idea, later refined by the Swedish mathematician Oskar Klein, was that space consisted of both extended and curled-up dimensions. The extended dimensions are the three spatial dimensions that we're familiar with, and the curled-up dimension is found deep within the extended dimensions and can be thought of as a circle. Experiments later showed that Kaluza and Klein's curled-up dimension did not unite general relativity and electromagnetic theory as originally hoped, but decades later, string theorists found the idea useful, even necessary.

The mathematics used in superstring theory requires at least 10 dimensions. That is, for the equations that describe superstring theory to begin to work out—for the equations to connect general relativity to quantum mechanics, to explain the nature of particles, to unify forces, and so on—they need to make use of additional dimensions. These dimensions, string theorists believe, are wrapped up in the curled-up space first described by Kaluza and Klein.

To extend the curled-up space to include these added dimensions, imagine that spheres replace the Kaluza-Klein circles. Instead of one added dimension we have two if we consider only the spheres' surfaces and three if we take into account the space within the sphere. That's a total of six dimensions so far. So where are the others that superstring theory requires?

It turns out that, before superstring theory existed, two mathematicians, Eugenio Calabi of the University of Pennsylvania and Shing-Tung Yau of Harvard University, described six-dimensional geometrical shapes that superstring theorists say fit the bill for the kind of structures their equations call for. If we replace the spheres in curled-up space with these Calabi-Yau shapes, we end up with 10 dimensions: three spatial, plus the six of the Calabi-Yau shapes, plus one of time.

If superstring theory turns out to be correct, the idea of a world consisting of 10 or more dimensions is one that we'll need to become comfortable with. But will there ever be an explanation or a visual representation of higher dimensions that will truly satisfy the human mind? The answer to this question may forever be no. Not unless some four-dimensional life-form pulls us from our three-dimensional Spaceland and gives us a view of the world from its perspective.

Answer 4

Descriptions of "shape" requires a frame of reference familiar to the person requesting the description. I know of no frame of reference that can verbally describe a universe with 10 dimensions. We haven't even come up with some solid words to describe the universe in 3 or four dimensions much less 10.

Answer 5

if you consider that a 4 dimensional space is a 3 dimensional space + time, then it depends on what parametres you consider beeing the other 6...

Answer 6

10 shapes plus the 3 hidden ones, and if you count the ones on the other side you could say up to 14

Answer 7

the kind that does the tango and cha-cha while watching the steelers win the super bowl while playing Halo 3 all day

Answer 8

Read "The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking. It will blow your mind!!