Analogies in Theoretical Physics(Frontiers in Nonequilibrium Physics-Fundamental Theory, Glassy & Granular Materials, and Computational Physics-)

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Analogies have had and continue to have an important role in the development of theoretical physics. They may start from similarities of physical concepts followed by similarities in the mathematical formalization or it may be a purely mathematical aspect to suggest the development of analogous physical concepts. More often a subtle nonobvious interplay between these levels is involved. In this paper I will discuss two cases sufficiently intricate to illustrate some ways of how analogies work. The first topic is the introduction of spontaneous symmetry breaking in particle physics. The second one is the use of the renormalization group in the theory of critical phenomena and its statistical interpretation.
2010-07-27