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Feynman's space-time view in quantum electrodynamics.
- Source :
-
Studies in History & Philosophy of Science Part A . Jun2022, Vol. 93, p136-148. 13p. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- The present paper offers a reconstruction of what Feynman calls: "the overall spacetime view". To provide some background, I will rehearse Feynman's works on the absorber theory of radiation and on path integrals to emphasize the rejection of the so-called "customary view". Afterward, I will argue that Feynman's doctoral thesis was instrumental in developing the idea of enclosing a given quantum system into a spacetime boundary. This will be later applied to the path integral formulation and will play a substantial role in the use of asymptotic states in the theory of positron. It is in this latter work that Feynman uses the expression: "overall spacetime view", referring to the necessity of looking at all the possible quantum phenomena happening within the spacetime boundary. In the last part of the paper, I analyze how such a view applies to Feynman's work on quantum electrodynamics and Feynman diagrams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00393681
- Volume :
- 93
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Studies in History & Philosophy of Science Part A
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 157047975
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2022.03.006