Perturbative causality.
This paper examines the development of causal perturbation theory, a reformulation of perturbative quantum theory (QFT) starting from a causality condition rather than a time-evolution equation. We situate this program alongside other causality-based reformulations of relativistic quantum theory whi...
| Publicado en: | Synthese Vol. 206; no. 2; pp. 1 - 37 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Publicado: |
Springer Nature
Aug2025
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| Sumario: | This paper examines the development of causal perturbation theory, a reformulation of perturbative quantum theory (QFT) starting from a causality condition rather than a time-evolution equation. We situate this program alongside other causality-based reformulations of relativistic quantum theory which flourished in the post-war period, contrasting it in particular with axiomatic QFT. Whereas the axiomatic QFT tradition tried to move beyond the perturbative expansion, causal perturbation theory can be thought of as a foundational investigation of this approximation method itself. Our reconstruction of this forgotten research program offers new perspectives on contemporary debates about relativistic causality conditions and the problem of ultraviolet divergences. |
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