2016/02/01 by Lutz Klaczynski, Klaczynski, Lutz
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Mathematical Physics (math-ph) #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1602.00662
openalex publication_date 2016/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We review a package of no-go results in axiomatic quantum field theory with Haag's theorem at its centre. Since the concept of operator-valued distributions in this framework comes very close to what we believe canonical quantum fields are about, these results are of consequence to quantum field theory: they suggest the seeming absurdity that this highly victorious theory is incapable of describing interactions. We single out unitarity of the interaction picture's intertwiner as the most salient provision of Haag's theorem and critique canonical perturbation theory to argue that renormalisation bypasses Haag's theorem by violating this very assumption.