Franklin, Alexander (2017) On the Renormalisation Group Explanation of Universality. [Preprint]

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Abstract

It is commonly claimed that the universality of critical phenomena is explained through particular applications of the renormalisation group. This paper has three aims: to clarify the structure of the explanation of universality; to discuss the physics of such renormalisation group explanations; and to examine the extent to which universality is thus explained.

The derivation of critical exponents proceeds via a real-space or a field-theoretic approach to the renormalisation group. Building on Mainwood (2006), this paper argues that these approaches ought to be distinguished: while the field-theoretic approach explains universality, the real-space approach fails to provide an adequate explanation.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Franklin, Alexander alexander.a.franklin@kcl.ac.uk
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in Philosophy of Science
Keywords:	Emergence, reduction, renormalization, renormalisation, universality, explanation, minimal models
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Depositing User:	Dr Alexander Franklin
Date Deposited:	08 Jun 2017 14:26
Last Modified:	08 Jun 2017 14:26
Item ID:	13109
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Date:	2017
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/13109

Available Versions of this Item

• Universality Explained. (deposited 17 Apr 2016 01:20)
  • On the Renormalisation Group Explanation of Universality. (deposited 23 Nov 2016 15:08)
    • On the Renormalisation Group Explanation of Universality. (deposited 08 Jun 2017 14:26) [Currently Displayed]

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