Feynman diagrams as models

DOI10.1007/S00283-017-9716-ZMaRDI QIDQ2400834zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Michael Stöltzner

Publication date 30 August 2017

Published in The Mathematical Intelligencer (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-017-9716-z

zbMATH Keywords

Feynman diagramsphilosophy of science

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) History of quantum theory (81-03) Feynman diagrams (81T18) Electromagnetic interaction; quantum electrodynamics (81V10)

Review text

The author presents arguments for and against understanding Feynman diagrams as models, in light of recent characterizations of model-making by philosophers of science. Observing that physicists employ such diagrams both as a ``paper tool and a ``complex model, he advances the view of Feynman diagrams as a device mediating between mathematics and physics. The discussion is informed by the richly-detailed historical studies of the genesis and deployment of Feynman diagrams by \textit{A. Wüthrich} [The genesis of Feynman diagrams. Dordrecht: Springer (2010; Zbl 1226.81008)] and \textit{D. Kaiser} [Drawing theories apart. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (2005; Zbl 1146.81006)], while the focus is on current use, rather than that of Richard Feynman or Freeman Dyson.

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Cited in

(9)

• On the interpretation of Feynman diagrams, or, did the LHC experiments observe H?
• Pictures and pedagogy: the role of diagrams in Feynman's early lectures
• Do Feynman diagrams endorse a particle ontology? The roles of Feynman diagrams in S-matrix theory
• Aspects of Feynman graphs
• The status of Feynman diagrams in quantum field theory
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5241107 (Why is no real title available?)
• Feynman diagrams. From complexity to simplicity and back
• Diagrammar in classical scalar field theory
• Approximations that matter: virtual particles as carriers of interactions

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