Gauge Theory and the Geometrisation of Physics

Texte du rabat

This Element is broadly about the geometrization of physics, but mostly it is about gauge theories. The over-arching question this Element aims to answer is: why is descriptive redundancy fruitful for physics? It provides three inter-related answers: pragmatic, or methodological; based on geometrical considerations, and broadly relational.

Contenu

1. Introduction; 2. Why gauge? A Noether, methodological reason; 3. Gauge theory and the geometry of fiber bundles; 4. Why gauge? a geometrical reason; 5. The Aharonov-Bohm effect, non-locality, and non-separability; References.