Kostrikin and Manin, in their Linear Algebra and Geometry, state that:
(The excerpt is on pp. 42-43.)
The statement comes after a proof of general linear group over reals having two connected components, and the definition of the orientation of a real vector space.
Is there an account for the non-conservation of parity in weak interactions accessible to mathematicians who know very little physics (such as myself)? An abstract mathematical interpretation of the Wu experiment would be for instance an admissible (actually the ideal) answer. As per the context this has something to do with orientation, but I'd like to have a clearer idea.
With what little physics I know I could not decipher the expositions that show up first (including T.D. Lee's 1957 Nobel speech). Finally let me note that after looking at some literature I convinced myself that possibly Weyl's 1929 paper "Elektron und Gravitation. I." is relevant, though I am not quite sure.
Note: I cross-posted this question on MO. See https://mathoverflow.net/q/381196/66883.