3091: Renormalization - Revision history

Utdtutyabthsc: /* Explanation */

2025-11-28T04:20:58Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: /* Explanation */ i hope this makes sense?

2025-07-30T08:37:16Z

‎Explanation: i hope this makes sense?

Xurkitree10: /* Explanation */

2025-07-30T04:11:10Z

‎Explanation

CalibansCreations: /* Explanation */

2025-06-18T11:11:03Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: /* Explanation */

2025-06-16T13:01:07Z

‎Explanation

172.70.206.88: /* shifted the focus of the explanation towards the idea of the particle “hitting itself” through self-interactions, which I believe is most likely the meaning Randall had in mind*/

2025-05-28T01:07:30Z

‎shifted the focus of the explanation towards the idea of the particle “hitting itself” through self-interactions, which I believe is most likely the meaning Randall had in mind

172.71.241.111: /* Explanation */

2025-05-21T12:38:06Z

‎Explanation

172.69.43.183: /* Explanation */

2025-05-21T08:36:23Z

‎Explanation

172.71.151.17 at 17:25, 20 May 2025

2025-05-20T17:25:40Z

172.71.151.80 at 17:14, 20 May 2025

2025-05-20T17:14:29Z

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 {{w|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. For example, renormalization techniques allow the replacement of mass and charge values of an electron with other values that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
-Many common examples of calculations that require renormalization are those related to self-interactions of particles. For example an electron may interact with itself by emitting and re-absorbing a (virtual) photon. A naive calculation of the “probability” of this event produces an infinite result. Renormalization is used to extract a meaningful finite answer. We find that the true state of an electron at any given time includes a component which corresponds to this emission-and-reabsorption process. There are many interpretations of these results, but one common description is that the electron is repeatedly emitting and reabsorbing a photon, i.e. “hitting itself”.
+Many common examples of calculations that require renormalization are those related to self-interactions of particles. For example an electron may interact with itself by emitting and re-absorbing a (virtual) photon. A naïve calculation of the “probability” of this event produces an infinite result. Renormalization is used to extract a meaningful finite answer. We find that the true state of an electron at any given time includes a component which corresponds to this emission-and-reabsorption process. There are many interpretations of these results, but one common description is that the electron is repeatedly emitting and reabsorbing a photon, i.e. “hitting itself”.
 The comic invokes the commonplace {{tvtropes|StopHittingYourself|'stop hitting yourself'}} trope, in which the bully (Cueball) grabs a body part of the victim and perpetrates an assault with it, while claiming that the victim is engaged in self-harm. Use of this trope references the self-interactions that renormalization is accounting for. Megan's "... Wait" represents her starting to get the idea of renormalization, inspired by Cueball's bullying of the electron, as described in the caption. Another possible interpretation is that the earliest renormalization techniques amounted to attempts by physicists to "bully" electrons into accepting self-descriptions that gave the physicists the answers they sought.

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 ==Explanation==
-{{w|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex and {{w|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes  of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
+{{w|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. For example, renormalization techniques allow the replacement of mass and charge values of an electron with other values that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
 Many common examples of calculations that require renormalization are those related to self-interactions of particles. For example an electron may interact with itself by emitting and re-absorbing a (virtual) photon. A naive calculation of the “probability” of this event produces an infinite result. Renormalization is used to extract a meaningful finite answer. We find that the true state of an electron at any given time includes a component which corresponds to this emission-and-reabsorption process. There are many interpretations of these results, but one common description is that the electron is repeatedly emitting and reabsorbing a photon, i.e. “hitting itself”.
-The comic invokes the commonplace {{tvtropes|StopHittingYourself|'stop hitting yourself'}} trope, in which the bully (Cueball) grabs a body part of the victim and perpetrates an assault with it, while claiming that the victim is engaged in self-harm. Use of this trope references the self-interactions that renormalization is accounting for. Megan's "... Wait" represents her starting to get the idea of renormalization, inspired by Cueball's bullying of the electron, as described in the caption.
+The comic invokes the commonplace {{tvtropes|StopHittingYourself|'stop hitting yourself'}} trope, in which the bully (Cueball) grabs a body part of the victim and perpetrates an assault with it, while claiming that the victim is engaged in self-harm. Use of this trope references the self-interactions that renormalization is accounting for. Megan's "... Wait" represents her starting to get the idea of renormalization, inspired by Cueball's bullying of the electron, as described in the caption. Another possible interpretation is that the earliest renormalization techniques amounted to attempts by physicists to "bully" electrons into accepting self-descriptions that gave the physicists the answers they sought.
 The title text refers to the character "Endless" Mike Hellstrom, from the 1989 TV sitcom ''{{w|The Adventures of Pete & Pete#Enemies|The Adventures of Pete & Pete}}''. It links back to renormalization, because renormalization lets you remove infinities to get finite solutions, so in that sense it would turn Endless Mike into Finite Mike.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:11, 30 July 2025
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	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−	~~{{incomplete\|This page was created by DIRAC'S PRE-REPENTANT BULLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}~~
−
	{{w\|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex and {{w\|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation\|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w\|Fudge_factor\|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.		{{w\|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex and {{w\|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation\|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w\|Fudge_factor\|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 Another possible interpretation is that the earliest renormalization techniques amounted to attempts by physicists to "bully" electrons into accepting self-descriptions that gave the physicists the answers they sought.
-The title text refers to the character Mike Hellstrom, nicknamed Endless Mike, from the 1989 TV sitcom {{w|The Adventures of Pete & Pete#Enemies|''The Adventures of Pete & Pete''}}. It links back to renormalization, because renormalization lets you remove infinities to get finite solutions, so in that sense it would turn Endless Mike into Finite Mike.
+The title text refers to the character "Endless" Mike Hellstrom, from the 1989 TV sitcom ''{{w|The Adventures of Pete & Pete#Enemies|The Adventures of Pete & Pete}}''. It links back to renormalization, because renormalization lets you remove infinities to get finite solutions, so in that sense it would turn Endless Mike into Finite Mike.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{incomplete|This page was created by DIRAC'S PRE-REPENTANT BULLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
-The term {{w|renormalization}} refers to a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex, and {{w|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes  of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
+{{w|Renormalization}} is a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex and {{w|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes  of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
 Many common examples of calculations that require renormalization are those related to self-interactions of particles. For example an electron may interact with itself by emitting and re-absorbing a (virtual) photon. A naive calculation of the “probability” of this event produces an infinite result. Renormalization is used to extract a meaningful finite answer. We find that the true state of an electron at any given time includes a component which corresponds to this emission-and-reabsorption process. There are many interpretations of these results, but one common description is that the electron is repeatedly emitting and reabsorbing a photon, i.e. “hitting itself”.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 The term {{w|renormalization}} refers to a mathematical toolkit used in quantum field theory and other domains of physics. The concept is mathematically and intuitively complex, and {{w|Renormalization#Attitudes_and_interpretation|controversial}}. Briefly, renormalization techniques permit the replacement of terms in equations that represent postulated initial attributes  of a thing (e.g., mass and charge values of an electron) with terms that reference attributes observed experimentally. Renormalization is presumed to account for unobserved interactions among the things in the system being studied that lead to the state of the renormalized thing being different from what was initially postulated, and it can therefore be considered justified and not a {{w|Fudge_factor|fudge factor}}. Equations with renormalized quantities reach finite solutions that can be used to do additional work, whereas those without renormalized quantities reach non-finite (infinite) solutions that cannot.
-The joke in this comic is that the earliest renormalization techniques amounted to attempts by physicists to "bully" electrons into accepting self-descriptions that gave the physicists the answers they sought. To illustrate the bullying, the comic invokes the commonplace {{tvtropes|StopHittingYourself|'stop hitting yourself'}} trope, in which the bully (Cueball) grabs a body part of the victim and perpetrates an assault with it, while claiming that the victim is engaged in self-harm. Use of this trope may reference the "unobserved (self-)interactions" that renormalization is presumably accounting for. Megan's "... Wait" represents her starting to get the idea of renormalization, inspired by Cueball's bullying of the electron, as described in the caption, or she may be realising the problem that Cueball's actions will be altering the conditions and so affecting the experimental outcomes, undermining the study.
+The joke in this comic is that the earliest renormalization techniques amounted to attempts by physicists to "bully" electrons into accepting self-descriptions that gave the physicists the answers they sought. To illustrate the bullying, the comic invokes the commonplace {{tvtropes|StopHittingYourself|'stop hitting yourself'}} trope, in which the bully (Cueball) grabs a body part of the victim and perpetrates an assault with it, while claiming that the victim is engaged in self-harm. Use of this trope may reference the "unobserved (self-)interactions" that renormalization is presumably accounting for. Megan's "... Wait" represents her starting to get the idea of renormalization, inspired by Cueball's bullying of the electron, as described in the caption. Or she may be realising the problem: that Cueball's actions will be altering the conditions, and so affecting the experimental outcomes to undermine the study.
 The title text refers to the character Mike Hellstrom, nicknamed Endless Mike, from the 1989 TV sitcom {{w|The Adventures of Pete & Pete#Enemies|''The Adventures of Pete & Pete''}}. It links back to renormalization, because renormalization lets you remove infinities to get finite solutions, so in that sense it would turn Endless Mike into Finite Mike.