The Infinity puzzle; quantum field theory an the hunt for an orderly universe
The first quantum field theory (QFT), quantum electrodynamics (QED), originated in Paul Dirac’s 1927 paper concerning the emission and absorption of radiation. AlthoughDirac’sworkdescribing the electromagnetic force was the logical sequel to a brief but intense development of the new quantum theory, it promptly gave rise to seemingly insurmountable difficulties. In a letter written in February 1928, Wolfgang Pauli suggested to Dirac that a fundamental change in perspective would likely be needed. Working with Werner Heisenberg, Pauli had calculated the self-energy of a single electron interacting with its own electromagnetic field. The value, they were chagrined to learn, turned out to be infinite. “What do you think about this?” Pauli challenged. During the 1930s, QFT was the instrument for important developments such as Enrico Fermi’s theory of beta decay (1934) and, at the end of the decade, Pauli’s derivation of the connection between spin, Bose-Einstein statistics, and FermiDirac statistics. Despite such successes, physicists remained disturbed by the divergent integrals that arose when many basic physical quantities were calculated. Rather than being explained, the infinitiesproliferatedas theparticlezooexpanded. “New divergence sorrows” were the words with