Conservation of Charge

Noether's theorem states that For every continuous symmetry of the action, there is a corresponding conserved quantity. Continuous symmetry → a transformation that can be done smoothly, not discrete. Action → integral of the Lagrangian over time. SymmetryConserved quantityTime translation (Lagrangian doesn’t depend explicitly on time)EnergySpace translation (Lagrangian doesn’t depend on position)MomentumRotational symmetry (Lagrangian doesn’t … Continue reading Conservation of Charge

Roadmap to Learn Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)

Classic Field Theory: Before quantization, understand classical fields. Topics: Action principle Euler–Lagrange equations Lagrangian density Noether's theorem Important fields: Maxwell's Equations Scalar field theory Vector fields Key idea:Fields are the fundamental objects, not particles. Relativistic Wave Equations: Next learn equations describing relativistic particles. Important equations: Klein–Gordon Equation (scalar particles) Dirac Equation (spin-½ particles) Key concepts: … Continue reading Roadmap to Learn Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)

Physicists Identify Particles by Looking for Poles in Correlation Functions

Knowing Minkowski's invariance ( p^2 = m^2 ), we can then deduce the propagator in the Klein-Gordon equation, that is, scalar field, then pole of the propagator in Quantum Field Theory. This is one of the clever conceptual insights physicists discovered. The reasoning is: Fields have wave equations. Wave equations allow plane waves with p2=m2p^2=m^2. … Continue reading Physicists Identify Particles by Looking for Poles in Correlation Functions

Feynman Paths to Feynman Diagrams: A Journey Through Quantum Arrows

Imagine a particle moving from point A to point B. In quantum mechanics, it doesn’t just take a single path — it explores all possible paths. Each path has a complex amplitude (or wave function) with a phase determined by the action along that path. The sum of all these amplitudes determines the probability for … Continue reading Feynman Paths to Feynman Diagrams: A Journey Through Quantum Arrows