Jacobs, Caspar (2022) The Metaphysics of Fibre Bundles. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Recently, Dewar (2019) has suggested that one can apply the strategy of 'sophistication' - as exemplified by sophisticated substantivalism as a response to the diffeomorphism invariance of General Relativity - to gauge theories such as electrodynamics. This requires a shift to the formalism of fibre bundles. In this paper, I develop and defend this suggestion. Where my approach differs from previous discussions is that I focus on the metaphysical picture underlying the fibre bundle formalism. In particular, I aim to affirm the physical reality of gauge properties. I argue that this allows for a local and separable explanation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Its puzzling features are explained by a form of holism inherent to fibre bundles.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Jacobs, Caspar caspar.jacobs@merton.ox.ac.uk 0000-0001-6903-0468
Keywords:	gauge, fiber bundles, electromagnetism, equivalence, symmetries, sophistication, aharonov-bohm effect, locality
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User:	Caspar Jacobs
Date Deposited:	25 Nov 2022 17:04
Last Modified:	25 Nov 2022 17:04
Item ID:	21468
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date:	2022
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21468

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