Irvine-Munich Workshop on the Foundations of Classical and Quantum Field Theories (December 14th 2014)
Idea and Motivation
Since its introduction in the nineteenth century, the concept of a field as an independent physical entity has become central to modern physics. Many highly successful classical theories, most notably electromagnetism and gravitation, were reformulated along field-theoretic lines, leading to advances in the understanding of their respective subject matters as well as enriching knowledge of field theory itself. The great development of these classical field theories influenced the founders of quantum mechanics, with the subsequent formulation of quantum field theories providing molds from which the Standard Model of particle physics has been cast. Yet the profound difficulties of finding a quantum field theory that incorporates gravitation have forced physicists and philosophers to confront the foundations of field theory with more scrutiny. While the multifaceted nature of the difficulties with quantum field theory may have reopened inquiry into classical field theories in hopes of finding potent analogies, this study has developed a rich life of its own. This workshop brings together communities of researchers working from different viewpoints on the foundations of both classical and quantum field theory.
Speakers
- Erik Curiel (MCMP/LMU)
- Benjamin Feintzeig (UC Irvine)
- Samuel Fletcher (MCMP/LMU)
- Brian Padden (MCMP/LMU)
- Sarita Rosenstock (UC Irvine)
- Michael Stoeltzner (MCMP/South Carolina)
- Karim Thébault (MCMP/LMU)
- James Weatherall (UC Irvine)
Program
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:10 | Introductory Remarks |
| 09:10 - 10:00 | James Weatherall (UC Irvine): "Fiber Bundles, Yang-Mills Theory, and General Relativity" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 10:00 - 10:50 | Sarita Rosenstock (UC Irvine): "On Fiber Bundle and Holonomy Interpretations of Yang-Mills Theories" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 10:50 - 11:20 | Coffee Break |
| 11:20 - 12:10 | Samuel Fletcher (MCMP/LMU): "Classical Field Theory and Intertheoretic Reduction: A Prolegomenon" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 12:10 - 13:00 | Erik Curiel (MCMP/LMU): "A Generalization of the Geometry of the Euler-Lagrange Equation" |
| 13:00 - 14:40 | Lunch |
| 14:40 - 15:30 | Michael Stoeltzner (MCMP/South Carolina): "Possible Worlds and Random Walks: The Principle of Least Action as a Thought Experiment" |
| 15:30 - 16:20 | Brian Padden (MCMP/LMU): "Relativistic Quantum Particles the Feynman Way" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 16:20 - 16:50 | Coffee Break |
| 16:50 - 17:40 | Benjamin Feintzeig (UC Irvine): "Unitary Inequivalence in Classical Systems" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 17:40 - 18:30 | Karim Thébault (MCMP/LMU): "A New Prescription for the Quantization of Refoliation Invariant Field Theories" (Watch the Lecture @ LMUcast) |
| 19:00 | Dinner |
Location
Contact & Registration
For information about practical matters and registration, please contact one of the organizers: Samuel Fletcher (Samuel.Fletcher@lrz.uni-muenchen.de) or Karim Thébault (Karim.Thebault@lrz.uni-muenchen.de).