# Tag Info

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An internal symmetry only involves transformations on the fields of a theory, and must act the same independent of the point in spacetime. For example, consider a Lagrangian, $$\mathcal{L} = \partial_\mu \psi^\star \partial^\mu \psi - V(|\psi|^2)$$ for some potential $V$, and complex field $\psi$. The theory has an internal symmetry, namely one which ...

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The point is that eq. (1.35) should hold off-shell to have a symmetry, while eq. (1.37) may only hold on-shell. [The term on-shell (in this context) means that the Euler-Lagrange equations are satisfied. See also this Phys.SE post.] In other words: On-shell, the action will only change with at most a boundary term for any infinitesimal variation, whether ...

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Pages 39 and 40 of this paper should provide a partial answer. You may need to read pages 35-39 first to understand the procedure.

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From a decoherence point of view, fields are more fundamental as they give rise to particle-like behavior from the wave behavior if interactions with the environment are strong. In the end though, quantum mechanics only describes correlations between macroscopic changes in detectors (or other materials), so whatever kind of ontology you want to take in the ...

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Simply because it is usually taught from historical, heuristic and pragmatic point of view, rarely from axiomatic point of view (e.g. Wightman axioms, as mentioned in a comment by ACuriousMind). This is because it is taught to be useful, as most QFT calculations boil down to scattering and decay amplitudes, and as Sean Carroll said: Heuristic QFT, on ...

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