Gauge and explanation: can gauge-dependent quantities be explanatory?

Thesis

Gauge theories, by which I mean theories with local dynamical symmetries, are ubiquitous in modern physics, extending across quantum chromodynamics, electromagnetism and (arguably) general relativity. Often philosophers also use the term ‘gauge’ in a broader sense as referring to those theories which contain superfluous structure or, in John Earman’s memorable words, ‘descriptive fluff’. In this sense, symmetries relate models which represent the same physical possibility; I call these

Expand abstract

Authors: Jacobs, C

• Type of award: BPhil
• Level of award: Bachelors
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: symmetry; invariance; aharonov-bohm; gauge
• Subjects: Philosophy of Physics