[New Entry by John Dougherty on July 28, 2025.]
Many of the theories found in contemporary high-energy physics are gauge theories. The theory of the electromagnetic force is a gauge theory, as are the theories of the weak and strong nuclear forces. Philosophers disagree about which other theories are gauge theories, but they generally agree that gauge theories present distinctive puzzles concerning mathematical representation. Philosophical discussion of gauge theories has focused on these puzzles alongside the metaphysical and epistemological consequences of the fact that…

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