Thesis ID: CBB001561041

Historical and Conceptual Foundations of the Higher Dimensional Unification Program in Physics (2010)

unapi

Karaca, Koray (Author)


Indiana University
Cat, Jordi


Publication Date: 2010
Edition Details: Advisor: Cat, Jordi
Physical Details: 204 pp.
Language: English

I offer an investigation of the historical, methodological and epistemological aspects of the higher dimensional unification program in physics (HDUP). I examine the emergence and development of HDUP under two main periods: the classical period which concerns the five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory constructed by Theodor Kaluza and Oskar Klein in the twenties to unify gravity with electromagnetism; and the modern period which spans the late seventies to the early eighties and concerns the higher dimensional supergravity and superstring theories--aka modern KK theories --aiming to unify gravity with the nuclear forces. My philosophical analysis of HDUP reveals different conceptions of unity as well as different mathematical structures underlying KK theories. I argue that the latter rest on a number of empirically unwarranted assumptions and a priori postulates. I use the conclusions of my investigation of HDUP to assess the merits of Philip Kitcher's unificationist model of scientific explanation. I construe Kitcher's account as requiring unification to lead to theories having comparatively greater explanatory and predictive power. In this sense, I take Kitcher's model of explanatory unification to be normative about what successful unification should consist of. I argue that both the original five-dimensional KK theory and modern KK theories--in their current state of the art--fail to meet Kitcher's normative standard of unification. Moreover, I argue that the relevant physics community also faults KK unification by using similar normative standards to Kitcher's for a successful unification. I conclude that Kitcher's account successfully captures the normative aspect of the practice of unification in the context of HDUP. References * References (170)

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Description Cited in Diss. Abstr. Int. A 71/07 (2011). Pub. no. AAT 3409764.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001561041/

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Authors & Contributors
Yamamoto, Yoshitaka
Lenard, Philipp
Valente, Mário Bacelar
Rocci, Alessio
Nándori, I.
Jentschura, U. D.
Concepts
Physics
Gravitation
Theoretical physics
String theory
Space
Electricity; magnetism
Time Periods
20th century, early
20th century
17th century
18th century
21st century
20th century, late
Places
Italy
Germany
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