Self Interaction: What, When, & How to Calculate

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    Interaction Self
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of self interaction, particularly in the context of electric charges and quantum electrodynamics (QED). Participants explore when self interaction should be considered, how it can be calculated, and its implications in various scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks clarity on the conditions under which self interaction should be considered for a single electric charge and how to manipulate it.
  • Another participant distinguishes between mutual inductance and self inductance, questioning if this relates to the original inquiry.
  • Self interaction is mentioned in relation to QED and Feynman sums, with a suggestion to look up "renormalization."
  • A participant confirms that a single electron can exhibit self interaction.
  • Clarification is provided that the original inquiry pertains to the effect of a charge's field on itself, rather than inductance.
  • Participants share links to external resources that may provide further insights into the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the specific conditions for considering self interaction or the methods for calculating it. Multiple viewpoints and clarifications are presented, indicating an ongoing exploration of the topic.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the definitions and implications of self interaction, particularly in relation to different physical contexts and theoretical frameworks.

ShayanJ
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I can't find sth about self interaction which tells for sure in what situations we should consider it and how to manipulate it!
Can we talk about self interaction for e.g. a single electric charge?Or it appears only in certain cases?How should we calculate it?

Thanks
 
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Well there is a distinction between mutual inductance and self inductance.
Is this the sort of idea you mean?
What is 'sth' by the way?
 
self interaction as in QED and Feynman sums?
Look up "renormalization".

A single electron can have a self interaction, yes.
 
Studiot said:
Well there is a distinction between mutual inductance and self inductance.
Is this the sort of idea you mean?
What is 'sth' by the way?

No,I didn't mean inductance!
I mean the effect of a charge's field on the charge itself.
And of course «something» means a webpage,paper,etc which talks about self interaction!
Thanks for caring anyway
 
Last edited:
Hey,That nobel lecture in the link above is really interesting,I strongly suggest reading it!
 

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