Lagrangian Models of the Particles with Spin: The First Seventy Years

TL;DR

This paper reviews the development of Lagrangian models for relativistic particles with spin over the past seventy years, covering classical formulations, superfield approaches, and some quantization aspects.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive historical overview of models describing spinning particles, highlighting the evolution from early attempts to modern superfield formulations.

Findings

Comparison of classical and superfield models

Discussion of quantization issues in spinning particles

Historical overview of model development

Abstract

We briefly review models of relativistic particles with spin. Departing from the oldest attempts to describe the spin within the lagrangian framework we pass through various non supersymmetric models. Then the component and superfield formulations of the spinning particle and superparticle models are reviewed. Our focus is mainly on the classical side of the problem, but some quantization questions are mentioned as well.