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Understanding Gauge

Weatherall, James Owen (2015) Understanding Gauge. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I consider two usages of the expression "gauge theory". On one, a gauge theory is a theory with excess structure; on the other, a gauge theory is any theory appropriately related to classical electromagnetism. I make precise one sense in which one formulation of electromagnetism, the paradigmatic gauge theory on both usages, may be understood to have excess structure, and then argue that gauge theories on the second usage, including Yang-Mills theory and general relativity, do not generally have excess structure in this sense.

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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Weatherall, James Owenweatherj@uci.edu
Additional Information: Includes erratum to published version.
Keywords: Gauge theory; Yang-Mills theory; electromagnetism; general relativity; category theory; structure
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User: James Owen Weatherall
Date Deposited: 14 Dec 2017 03:33
Last Modified: 14 Dec 2017 03:33
Item ID: 14198
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date: 2015
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14198

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