The Real Problem with Perturbative Quantum Field Theory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8399167 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James D Fraser (0000-0002-8653-1333, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 391-413 |
| Publication date | 2020-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/axx042 |
| OpenAlex | W2745459041 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 19 |
| References cited | 20 |
The perturbative approach to quantum field theory (QFT) has long been viewed with suspicion by philosophers of science. This article offers a diagnosis of its conceptual problems. Drawing on Norton’s ([2012]) discussion of the notion of approximation I argue that perturbative QFT ought to be understood as producing approximations without specifying an underlying QFT model. This analysis leads to a reassessment of common worries about perturbative QFT. What ends up being the key issue with the approach on this picture is not mathematical rigour, or the threat of inconsistency, but the need for a physical explanation of its empirical success. 1. Three Worries about Perturbative Quantum Field Theory 2. The Perturbative Formalism 2.1. Expanding the S-matrix 2.2. Perturbative renormalization 3. Approximations and Models 4. Perturbative Quantum Field Theory Produces Approximations 5. The Real Problem
Epistemology · Field (mathematics) · Formalism (music) · Non-perturbative · Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics) · Physics · Pure mathematics · Quantum · Quantum field theory · Quantum gravity · Quantum mechanics · Rigour · Theoretical physics · Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics · Mathematics · Philosophy · Quantum Mechanics and Applications · Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Renormalization scrutinized
Naturalness, Wilsonian renormalization, and “fundamental parameters” in quantum field theory
A Problem of Scale
Sloppy Models, Renormalization Group Realism, and the Success of Science
Worldly imprecision
Approximations that matter
Staying on-shell
Effective theory building and manifold learning
Theories without models
The perils of approximate ontology
Mathematical developments in the rise of Yang–Mills gauge theories
I ain’t afraid of no ghost
Taking approximations seriously
Renormalization Group Realism
Effective and Selective Realisms
Mathematical Structure and Empirical Content
Effective Ontic Structural Realism
Understanding Particle Interactions
Wait, Why Gauge
How to take particle physics seriously
Taking particle physics seriously
In Defence of Naiveté
The renormalisation group and effective field theories
Galilean idealization
Approximation and Idealization
Quantum Field Theory
Coarse-Graining as a Route to Microscopic Physics
Philosophical foundations of quantum field theory
Models in Physics
| Citations per year | 2.38 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Highly cited | No |