Symmetries in physics : philosophical reflections / edited by Katherine Brading and Elena Castellani.

Format:

• Book

Contributor:

• Brading, Katherine, 1970- editor.
• Castellani, Elena, 1959- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Symmetry (Physics).
• Physics--Philosophy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 445 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Summary:

Symmetry considerations dominate modern fundamental physics, both in quantum theory and in relativity. This book presents a collection of philosophy-on-physics papers, highlighting the main issues and controversies, and providing an entry into the subject for both physicists and philosophers. It covers topical issues such as the significance of gauge symmetry, particle identity in quantum theory, how to make sense of parity violation, the role of symmetry-breaking, the empirical status of symmetry principles, and so forth, along with more traditional problems in the philosophy of science. These include the status of the laws of nature, the relationships between mathematics, physical theory, and the world, and the extent to which mathematics dictates physics. A valuable reference for students and researchers, it will also be of interest to those studying the foundations of physics, philosophy of physics and philosophy of science.

Contents:

• Continuous Symmetries
• Classic texts: extracts from Weyl and Wigner
• On the significance of continuous symmetry to the foundations of physics / Christopher A. Martin
• The philosophical roots of the gauge principle: Weyl and transcendental phenomenological idealism / T.A. Ryckman
• Symmetries and Noether's theorems / Katherine Brading and Harvey R. Brown
• General covariance, gauge theories, and the Kretschmann objection / John D. Norton
• The interpretation of gauge symmetry / Michael Redhead
• Tracking down gauge: an ode to the constrained Hamiltonian formalism / John Earman
• Time-dependent symmetries: the link between gauge symmetries and indeterminism / David Wallace
• A fourth way to the Aharanov-Bohm effect / Aatigone M. Nounou
• Discrete Symmetries
• Classic texts: extracts from Lebniz, Kant and Black
• Understanding permutation symmetry / Steven French and Dean Rickles
• Quarticles and the identity of discernibles / Nick Huggett
• Handedness, parity violation, and the reality of space / Oliver Pooley
• Mirror symmetry: what is it for a relational space to be orientable? / Nick Huggett
• Physics and Leibniz's principles / Simon Saunders
• Symmetry Breaking
• Classic texts: extracts from Curie and Weyl
• Cross-fertilization in theoretical physics: the case of condensed matter and particle physics / Giovanni Jona-Lasinio
• On the meaning of symmetry breaking / Elena Castellani
• Rough guide to spontaneous symmetry breaking / John Earman
• Spontaneous symmetry breaking: theoretical arguments and philosophical problems / Margaret Morrison
• General Interpretative Issues
• Classic texts: extracts from Wigner
• Symmetry as a guide to superfluous theoretical structure / Jenann Ismael and Bas C. van Fraassen
• Notes on symmetries / Gordon Belot
• Symmetry, objectivity, and design / Peter Kosso
• Symmetry and equivalence / Elena Castellani.

Notes:

• Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).
• Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

• 1-107-13650-4
• 1-280-43088-5
• 9786610430888
• 0-511-20606-2
• 0-511-16992-2
• 0-511-06187-0
• 0-511-29707-6
• 0-511-53536-8
• 0-511-07033-0

OCLC:

57300113