| In September of 1999 this paper was submitted to the British Journal
for the Philosophy of Science and rejected on the grounds that there was "
no ... engagement with the philosophical literature" and that "this is not
a novel idea; .. it is entirely commonplace among philosophers of
physics." The former criticism was valid. The latter is not true! In none of the references offered by the referee is there an explicit statement that symmetry is identity. I know this because I have since read them all. I therefore wrote a new paper entitled "Is Symmetry Identity" which was published in International Studies in the Philosophy of Science vol. 16, pages 111-124, 2002. |
MATHEMATICAL STRUCTURE OF IDENTITY
by Marvin Chester
chester@physics.ucla.edu
ABSTRACT
The thesis: That symmetry and identity are operationally synonymous. The mathematical structure describing symmetry is group theory. Therefore this is also the structure for identity.
The connection between symmetry and identity is uncovered via a metaphor which describes how group theory functions in its application to physical systems. The metaphor is sameness under altered scrutiny. We show that this phrase captures the underlying notion governing the mathematics. With it we build a verbal representation of how the theory functions in physics. In the process the connection between symmetry and identity emerges as do other aspects of the world view underlying physics.
1. The System and the Observer
3. The System Remains Inviolate
5. The Law of Intrinsic Sameness
6. Symmetry is apparent sameness under altered scrutiny
7. Identity resides in labels.
8. Measurables are observables
9. Altered scrutinies generate group representations
10. Irreducible representations yield identity labels.
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© m chester, August 1999, Occidental, CA