Functional Epistemology "Nullifies" Dyson's Rebuttal of Perturbation Theory

TL;DR

This paper discusses how functional epistemology influences the interpretation of Dyson's critique of perturbation theory in quantum field theory, emphasizing epistemological perspectives in scientific modeling.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of functional epistemology as a lens to analyze Dyson's argument against perturbative expansions, highlighting epistemology's role in scientific ontology.

Findings

Functional epistemology affects interpretation of quantum theories.

Dyson's critique exemplifies epistemology as ontology.

The approach clarifies limitations of perturbation methods.

Abstract

Functional epistemology is about ways to access functional objects by using varieties of methods and procedures. Not all such means are equally capable of reproducing these functions in the desired consistency and resolution. Dyson's argument against the perturbative expansion of quantum field theoretic terms, in a radical form (never pursued by Dyson), is an example of epistemology taken as ontology.