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Representational schemes for theories with symmetry

Gomes, Henrique (2024) Representational schemes for theories with symmetry. [Preprint]

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Abstract

In the philosophical literature, symmetries of physical theories are most often interpreted according to the general doctrine called \lq{}traditional sophistication\rq{}. But even this doctrine leaves two important gaps in our understanding of such theories: (A) it allows the individuation of isomorphism-classes to remain intractable and thus of limited use, which is why practising physicists frequently invoke \lq{}relational, symmetry-invariant observables\rq{}; and (B) it leaves us with no formal framework for expressing interesting counterfactual statements about different physical possibilities. I will call these \emph{Limitations} of TS. Here I will show that a new Desideratum to be satisfied by theories with symmetries allows us to overcome these Limitations. The new Desideratum is that the theory admits what I will call \emph{representational schemes} for its isomorphism-classes. Each such scheme gives an equally valid reduced formalism for a theory.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Gomes, Henriquegomes.ha@gmail.com0000-0002-9285-0090
Keywords: Symmetry, invariance, hole argument, gauge symmetry, gauge-fixing, observables.
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User: Dr Henrique Gomes
Date Deposited: 02 Jun 2025 13:15
Last Modified: 02 Jun 2025 13:15
Item ID: 25529
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date: 8 October 2024
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25529

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