Bonn 2025 – scientific programme

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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 11: Philosophy of Particle Physics and Quantum Field Theory

AGPhil 11.2: Talk

Friday, March 14, 2025, 11:30–12:00, HS XVII

Inconsistencies in Quantum Field Theories: Replacement vs. Refinement? — •Francisco Calderón — University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The history of QFT is one of inconsistencies and attempts at overcoming them. Specifically, Blum*s history of QED (ms.) shows that it is one of inconsistencies in the UV. While it was known that QED also had divergences in the IR, IR problems are considered less pathological. Four decades after QED, it was discovered that soon-to-be QCD is asymptotically free. Although QCD also bore the worst of QED*s inconsistencies, the Landau pole, asymptotic freedom put worries about the consistency of QFT to rest. The only difference between QED*s and QCD*s Landau poles was that the former lies in the UV and the latter in the IR. Is there a historical explanation for this double standard? A common reaction to QED*s inconsistencies was to reject QFT altogether*call this attitude Replacement. A common reaction to QCD was that cleverer ways of looking at or extending RG techniques would prevent a catastrophe in the IR*call this attitude Refinement. One goal of my paper is to chart the history of asymptotic freedom, which is undertheorized from the point of view of QFTs (as opposed to a history of the discovery of quarks). Another goal is to compare my historical reconstruction of QCD with Blum*s of QED and draw some philosophical morals about the differences between Replacement and Refinement.

Keywords: QFTs; QED; QCD; Inconsistencies; Integrated HPS