English

What good are quantum field theory infinities?

High Energy Physics - Theory 2007-05-23 v1 History and Philosophy of Physics

Abstract

A lesson for the new millennium from quantum field theory: Not all field-theoretic infinities are bad. Some give rise to finite, symmetry-breaking effects, whose consequences are observed in Nature.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/9911071,
  title  = {What good are quantum field theory infinities?},
  author = {R. Jackiw},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/9911071},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

13 pages, 1 figure using BoxedEPSF, amsmath macros; contribution to Mathematical Physics 2000, Imperial College Press, London, UK; email to jackiw@ralph2.mit.edu

R2 v1 2026-07-22T16:18:09.176Z