Alladi Ramakrishnan Hall

’Gauge Symmetry’ is an oxymoron, and ’Spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry’ is a double oxymoron.

Prof N D Hari Dass

TIFR-TCIS Hyderabad.

There is a profound difference between invariance(say, of the
action) under gauge transformations, and say, under rotations. The latter,
also invariances, are true symmetries while the former are just invariances.
They actually lack the important hallmarks of symmetries like degeneracies
and conservation laws. Consequently, the phrase ’gauge symmetry’ is an
oxymoron even though many leading experts use this phrase. Since there is
no symmetry, there can not be any spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry,
making that phrase a double oxymoron.
I will present a thorough technical and conceptual analysis of the relevant
issues. I will discuss the importance of Noether’s second theorem(most have
only heard of one!) in this context. My talk is a tribute to Emmy Noether
in this centenary year of the publication of her theorems.