Irvine-Munich Workshop on the Foundations of Classical and Quantum Field Theories (LMU Munich, December 14th 2014)

[Karim Thébault]

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Irvine-Munich Workshop on the Foundations of Classical and Quantum Field
Theories

LMU Munich, December 14th 2014

http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/events/workshops/container/found_field_theories/index.html


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Since its introduction in the nineteenth century, the concept of a field as
an independent physical entity has become central to modern physics. Many
highly successful classical theories, most notably electromagnetism and
gravitation, were reformulated along field-theoretic lines, leading to
advances in the understanding of their respective subject matters as well
as enriching knowledge of field theory itself. The great development of
these classical field theories influenced the founders of quantum
mechanics, with the subsequent formulation of quantum field theories
providing molds from which the Standard Model of particle physics has been
cast. Yet the profound difficulties of finding a quantum field theory that
incorporates gravitation have forced physicists and philosophers to
confront the foundations of field theory with more scrutiny. While the
multifaceted nature of the difficulties with quantum field theory may have
reopened inquiry into classical field theories in hopes of finding potent
analogies, this study has developed a rich life of its own. This workshop
brings together communities of researchers working from different
viewpoints on the foundations of both classical and quantum field theory.

Speakers

Erik Curiel (MCMP/LMU)
Benjamin Feintzeig (UC Irvine)
Samuel Fletcher (MCMP/LMU)
Brian Padden (MCMP/LMU)
Sarita Rosenstock (UC Irvine)
Michael Stoeltzner (South Carolina)
Karim Thébault (MCMP/LMU)
James Weatherall (UC Irvine)

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For information about practical matters and registration, please contact
one of the organizers: Samuel Fletcher (Samuel.Fletcher at lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
or Karim Thébault (Karim.Thebault at lrz.uni-muenchen.de).
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