The Limitations of the Notion of 'Observable' in Diffeomorphism-Invariant Models
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19213601 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Álvaro Mozota Frauca (0000-0002-7715-0563, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/741910 |
| OpenAlex | W7161762541 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
The application of the notion of `observable' from gauge theory to diffeomorphism-invariant theories -- most relevantly to general relativity -- has led to numerous conceptual and technical issues when interpreting classical theories with this symmetry and building quantum versions of them. In this article I distinguish between two senses of gauge transformation: local and global, and I argue that the notion of observable appears more naturally in the local sense of gauge transformation. Then, I argue that diffeomorphism invariance can be understood as a gauge symmetry only from a global point of view, and hence, that the concept of observable applies only in a restricted manner. This has the consequence that some popular claims in the literature, such as the claim that the physical content of diffeomorphism-invariant models is encoded in correlations, are unfounded
Argument (complex analysis) · Counterfactual thinking · Key (lock) · Advanced Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems · Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology · Mathematical Dynamics and Fractals
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |