Symmetries as a guide to the structure of physical quantities

Thesis

The aim of this thesis is to extend the success of a novel strategy for the interpretation of symmetry-related models — sophistication — to contemporary physical theories’ internal symmetries. In order to do so, I propose that a theory’s quantities possess a certain structure. The problematic underdetermination of symmetry-related models arises when we attribute too much structure to the fundamental quantities.

The advantage of sophistication is that it enables a realist interpreta...

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Authors: Jacobs, C

• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: structure; gauge; symmetries; philosophy of physics; invariance; quantities; underdetermination
• Subjects: Physics; Philosophy