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Observability, redundancy and modality for dynamical symmetry transformations

Wallace, David (2019) Observability, redundancy and modality for dynamical symmetry transformations. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I provide a fairly systematic analysis of when quantities that are variant under a dynamical symmetry transformation should be regarded as unobservable, or redundant, or unreal; of when models related by a dynamical symmetry transformation represent the same state of affairs; and of when mathematical structure that is variant under a dynamical symmetry transformation should be regarded as surplus. In most of these cases the answer is `it depends': depends, that is, on the details of the symmetry in question. A central feature of the analysis is that in order to draw any of these conclusions for a dynamical symmetry it needs to be understood in terms of its possible extensions to other physical systems, in particular to measurement devices.

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Item Type: Preprint
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Wallace, David
Additional Information: Revised 3/2021 to correct a few typos and add a section on Noether's Theorem.
Keywords: symmetry
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User: Professor David Wallace
Date Deposited: 13 Mar 2021 00:11
Last Modified: 13 Mar 2021 00:11
Item ID: 18813
Subjects: General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date: 2019
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18813

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