Gauge Theory Without Principal Fiber Bundles.

In general relativity, the strong equivalence principle is underpinned by a geometrical account of fields on spacetime, by which all fields and bodies probe the same geometry. This geometric account implies that the parallel transport of all spacetime tensors and spinors is dictated by a single affi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Philosophy of Science Vol. 92; no. 3; pp. 511 - 528
Autor principal: Gomes, Henrique
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Cambridge University Press Jul2025
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:In general relativity, the strong equivalence principle is underpinned by a geometrical account of fields on spacetime, by which all fields and bodies probe the same geometry. This geometric account implies that the parallel transport of all spacetime tensors and spinors is dictated by a single affine connection. No similar account of gauge theory is put forward by standard textbooks, which use principal bundles to coordinate the parallel transport of different, interacting particles. Nonetheless, here I argue that gauge theory does afford such a geometric account, obviating the need for principal bundles.