Breaking the symmetry. The first steps of a new way of thinking

TL;DR

This paper reviews the historical development of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB), highlighting its significance in gauge theories and complex systems, from early concepts to modern theoretical frameworks.

Contribution

It provides a concise overview of the evolution of SSB, emphasizing key contributions and the role of phenomenological approaches in complex systems.

Findings

Historical progression of SSB concepts

Role of Landau and London in SSB development

Importance of phenomenological methods in complex systems

Abstract

The concept of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB) represents a real breakthrough for present description of fundamental interactions by means of gauge theories. Although the underlying ideas were ancient, their formalization required a long time, due to epistemological obstacles and technical difficulties. In this paper, the main steps of SSB evolution are briefly outlined, from the introduction of the order parameter in the Thirties to the birth of the many-body theory at the end of the Fifties. In this context, the contribute of the capital L.Landau's works on phase transitions and quantum fluids, as well as of the seminal ideas of F. London, is highlighted, and the phenomenological approach in theoretical physics (whose features are schematically underlined) is showed to be crucial in the rising field of complex systems.