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Cambridge University Press eBooks

The Formation of the Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory

Tian Yu Cao

Published Oct 1, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum field theory (QFT) can be analyzed in terms of its mathematical structure, its conceptual scheme, or its basic ontology. The analysis can be done logically or historically. In this chapter, only the genesis of the conceptual foundations of QFT relevant to its basic ontology will be treated carefully; no detailed discussion of its mathematical structures or its epistemological underpinnings will be given. Some conceptual problems, such as those related to probability and measurement, will be discussed, but only because of their relevance to the basic ontology of QFT, rather than their intrinsic philosophical interest.

DOI
10.1017/9781108566926.011

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Quantum field theory (QFT) can be analyzed in terms of its mathematical structure, its conceptual system for physical descriptions, or its basic ontology. The analysis can be done logically or historically. In this chapter, only the genesis of the conceptual foundations of QFT relevant to its basic ontology will be treated; no discussion of its mathematical structures or its epistemological underpinnings will be given. Some conceptual problems, such as those related to probability and measurement, will be discussed, but only because of their relevance to the basic ontology of QFT, rather than their intrinsic philosophical interest. Here, by basic ontology I mean the irreducible entities that QFT is invented to describe. The often mentioned candidates for the basic ontology of QFT, in fact of the physical world, are the discrete particle and the continuous field. Another possible candidate (the spacetime point) has also been suggested recently (Redhead, 1983). Since the aim of this chapter is to analyze the historical process in which the conceptual foundations of QFT were laid down, rather than the logical structure of QFT which philosophers of the present day treat, no discussion of the last possibility will be given. The content of this chapter involves the formation and interpretation, in a roughly chronological order, of the concepts of the wave function, quantization, quantization of the field, the vacuum, interactions between fields, and renormalization. The first two topics will be discussed in relation to the quantization of the field, with their role being taken as the starting point of the conceptual development of QFT.

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Quantum field theory (QFT) can be analyzed in terms of its mathematical structure, its conceptual scheme, or its basic ontology. The analysis can be done logically or historically. In this chapter, only the genesis of the conceptual foundations of QFT relevant to its basic ontology will be treated carefully; no detailed discussion of its mathematical structures or its epistemological underpinnings will be given. Some conceptual problems, such as those related to probability and measurement, will be discussed, but only because of their relevance to the basic ontology of QFT, rather than their intrinsic philosophical interest.
Quantum field theory (QFT) can be analyzed in terms of its mathematical structure, its conceptual system for physical descriptions, or its basic ontology. The analysis can be done logically or historically. In this chapter, only the genesis of the conceptual foundations of QFT relevant to its basic ontology will be treated; no discussion of its mathematical structures or its epistemological underpinnings will be given. Some conceptual problems, such as those related to probability and measurement, will be discussed, but only because of their relevance to the basic ontology of QFT, rather than their intrinsic philosophical interest. Here, by basic ontology I mean the irreducible entities that QFT is invented to describe. The often mentioned candidates for the basic ontology of QFT, in fact of the physical world, are the discrete particle and the continuous field. Another possible candidate (the spacetime point) has also been suggested recently (Redhead, 1983). Since the aim of this chapter is to analyze the historical process in which the conceptual foundations of QFT were laid down, rather than the logical structure of QFT which philosophers of the present day treat, no discussion of the last possibility will be given. The content of this chapter involves the formation and interpretation, in a roughly chronological order, of the concepts of the wave function, quantization, quantization of the field, the vacuum, interactions between fields, and renormalization. The first two topics will be discussed in relation to the quantization of the field, with their role being taken as the starting point of the conceptual development of QFT.
Introduction: Conceptual issues in quantum field theory Part I. Philosophers' Interests in Quantum Field Theory: 1. Why are we philosophers interested in quantum field theory 2. Quantum field theory and the philosopher Part II. Three Approaches to the Foundations of Quantum Field Theory: 3. The usefulness of a general theory of quantized fields 4. Effective field theory in condensed matter physics 5. The triumph and limitations of quantum field theory 6. Comments Discussions Part III. Does Quantum Field Theory Need a Foundation: 7. Does quantum field theory need a foundation? Part IV. Mathematics, Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory: 8. Renormalization group theory: its basis and formulation in statistical physics 9. Where does quantum field theory fit into the big picture? 10. The unreasonable effectiveness of quantum field theory 11. Comment: the quantum field theory of physics and of mathematics Part V. Quantum Field Theory and Spacetime: Introduction 12. Quantum field theory and spacetime: formalism and reality 13. Quantum field theory of geometry 14. 'Localization' in quantum field theory: how much of QFT is compatible with what we know about spacetime 15. Comments VI. 16. What is quantum field theory and what did we think it was? 17. Comments Discussions Part VII.Renormalization Group: 18. What is fundamental physics? A renormalization group perspective 19. Renormalization group: an interesting yet puzzling idea Part VIII. Non-Abelian Gauge Theory: 20. Gauge fields, gravity and Bohm's theory 21. Is the Aharonov-Bohm effect local? Discussions Part IX. The Ontology of Particles or Fields: 22. The ineliminable classical face of quantum field theory 23. The logic of quanta 24. Do Feynman diagrams endorse a particle ontology? 25. On the ontology of QFT Part X. Panel Discussion.
In this introductory chapter, which actually is the core of the entire book, we make a serious effort to bring together a variety of ideas from philosophy and physics. We first lay the epistemological foundations for our approach to particle physics. These philosophical foundations, combined with tools borrowed from the amazingly sophisticated, but still not entirely satisfactory, mathematical apparatus of present-day quantum field theory and augmented by some new ideas, are then employed to develop a mathematical representation of fundamental particles and their interactions. In this process, also the relation between “fundamental particle physics” and “quantum field theory” is going to be clarified. This first chapter consists of two voluminous sections: a number of philosophical contemplations followed by a discussion of mathematical and physical elements . The reader might wonder why these massive sections are not presented as two separate chapters. The reason for keeping them together is the desire to emphasize the intimate relation between these two sections: the selection and construction of the mathematical and physical elements is directly based on our philosophical contemplations. The beauty of the entire approach is a fruit of this intimate relationship. The presentation of the material in this chapter is based on the assumption that the reader has a basic working knowledge of linear algebra and quantum mechanics. If that is not the case, the reader might want to consult the equally entertaining and serious introduction Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum by Susskind and Friedman [4]. The book Quantum Mechanics and Experience by Albert [5] offers a fascinating introduction with a strong focus on the measurement problem. An almost equation-free discussion of the history and foundations of quantum mechanics can be found in the book Einstein, Bohr and the Quantum Dilemma: From Quantum Theory to Quantum Information by Whitaker [6]. Complex vector spaces, Hilbert space vectors and density matrices for describing states of quantum systems, bosons and fermions, canonical commutation relations, Heisenberg's uncertainty relation, the Schrodinger and Heisenberg pictures for the time evolution of quantum systems, as well as a basic idea of the measurement process are all referred or alluded to in Section 1.1; these basics of quantum mechanics are recapped only very briefly in Section 1.2. The crucial construct of Fock spaces is explained in a loose way in Section 1.1.3 and later elaborated in full detail in Section 1.2.1.
Abstract Much attention has been directed to the philosophical implications of quantum field theory (QFT) in recent years; this paper attempts a survey in low-technical terms. First the relations of QFT to other kinds of theory, classical and quantum, particle and field, are discussed. Then various formulations of QFT are introduced, along with related interpretations. Finally a review is made of some of the most interesting foundational problems. For our discussion of the foundations of quantum field theory (QFT) it will be useful to have a map showing where QFT stands in relation to other physical theories. Figure 1 locates theories as points of a three-dimensional lattice: describing particles or fields, formulated in different spacetimes and either classical or quantum. Consider the classical plane of Figure
Quantum field theory is a powerful language for the description of the subatomic constituents of the physical world and the laws and principles that govern them. This book contains up-to-date in-depth analyses, by a group of eminent physicists and philosophers of science, of our present understanding of its conceptual foundations, of the reasons why this understanding has to be revised so that the theory can go further, and of possible directions in which revisions may be promising and productive. These analyses will be of interest to graduate students and research workers in physics who want to know about the foundational problems of their subject. The book will also be of interest to professional philosophers, historians and sociologists of science, because it contains much material for metaphysical and methodological reflections, for historical and cultural analyses, and for sociological analyses of the way in which various factors contribute to the way the foundations are revised.