Electromagnetism and Feynman diagrams

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SUMMARY

Electromagnetism is fundamentally derived from Maxwell's equations, as stated by Richard Feynman. A discussion participant highlighted that a single Feynman diagram representing a photon/electron interaction encapsulates the essence of electromagnetism. However, the relationship between the diagram and the derivation of Coulomb's force is not straightforward, as particle physicists primarily utilize these diagrams for calculating particle collision cross-sections rather than directly extracting electromagnetic principles from them.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Maxwell's equations
  • Familiarity with Feynman diagrams
  • Knowledge of Lagrangian mechanics
  • Basic concepts of particle physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of Coulomb's force from Maxwell's equations
  • Explore the application of Feynman diagrams in quantum electrodynamics (QED)
  • Learn about Lagrangian formulations in field theory
  • Investigate the relationship between electromagnetic fields and particle interactions
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those focused on electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and particle physics, will benefit from this discussion.

Ray
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1. Feynman says all of electromagnetism follows from Maxwell equations.
2. Somebody (Pointing to a Feynman diagram of a photon/electron reaction) said all of electromagnetism is in that one diagram. So, can anyone help me with these two questions: how does point 1 come from point 2. And, how does a photon come from an EM field just by using it in a Langragian form?
 
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I remember when I asked one particle physicists, that "how does Coulomb's force follow from that diagram?". The response was "no... we use these to calculate particle collision cross-sections". That's the unpleasant, but simple, truth :wink: You are not getting electromagnetism out of particle exchanges.
 

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