Field Theories and Point Particles
Field Theory
We can make some predictions for zero in field theories when viewed as
null.
Let us review our earlier Principle
#2 when using zero as { }:
Dimensionless points are purely imaginary and can play no part as
quantities in the mathematics of physics.
We could also say "a circle with a radius of zero is not a circle
- it isn't anything".
Taking this a step further, if dimensionless points are actually
prohibited from physics then any attempt to use them would produce
unreliable results and, when zero is viewed as { 0 }, Type
2 infinities result whenever division is attempted.
For example, we calculate the mass of a charged particle to include the
mass-energy in its electrostatic field. If we assume that the particle is
a charged spherical shell and use the conventional { 0 } view of zero, the
energy in the field is infinite if the radius is zero. The null view
instead predicts that the density is nothing if the radius is zero, i.e.it
is simply outside the scope of the calculation as there is no volume.
Density = Mass / Volume
When viewing zero as null, then spaces of (Type 2) infinite density are
impossible. Either matter cannot be squeezed to zero size or else it
ceases to exist when you do. Zero volume would mean zero density.
This is another Type 2
Infinity, division by zero. That is not to say you cannot have Type
1 infinities - ever increasing or decreasing quantities, just that
division by zero is meaningless.
This also applies to other singularities such as the "Big
Bang". If zero is treated as null, then zero space-time does not
equal infinite density - it equals no density at all.
Stated another way, the reason we find infinities using { 0 } is
because we put them there ourselves with the assumption that 1/0 =
Infinity.
"We do not divide by zero" - Gottfried Leibnitz (1646 -
1716)
Other Cases
It is not the purpose of this article to catalogue the various types of
infinities and zeros in all theories. There are many types of infinities
and many uses of zero. However, when treating zero as null, we can apply
the Principles #1 and #2
and come to these general interpretations:
(a) Type 2 infinities (1 / 0) are actually nulls.
(b) Imaginary points can play no part in the mathematics. If non-null
results are required, then a non-zero point size must be used.
Quantum field theory is an example where these may be applied. It
routinely assumes the existence of zero-dimensional objects and is plagued
by infinities and the need for "renormalisation" to remove them.
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