What is the legacy of Sidney Coleman?

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Summary: In summary, the conversation is about Sidney Coleman, a renowned theoretical physicist and professor at Harvard University. Multiple websites and articles discuss his contributions to quantum field theory and his impact on the field. His QFT notes and lectures are highly regarded and have been compiled into a book.
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1. Who was Sidney Coleman?

Sidney Coleman (1937-2007) was an American theoretical physicist and a professor at Harvard University. He made significant contributions to quantum field theory and particle physics.

2. What are some of Sidney Coleman's contributions to physics?

Sidney Coleman made many contributions to physics, including the discovery of the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism, the Coleman-Mandula theorem, and the Coleman-Norton conjecture. He also developed the notion of instantons and pioneered the use of effective field theory in particle physics.

3. What is the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism?

The Coleman-Weinberg mechanism is a theory that explains the spontaneous breaking of symmetry in quantum field theory. It was proposed by Sidney Coleman and Erick Weinberg in 1973 and has been used to explain the origin of mass in various physical systems, including the Higgs mechanism.

4. What is the Coleman-Mandula theorem?

The Coleman-Mandula theorem is a fundamental result in theoretical physics that states that in a quantum field theory with a mass gap, the only possible symmetries of the S-matrix are the Poincaré group and internal symmetries. It was co-discovered by Sidney Coleman and Jeffrey Mandula in 1967.

5. What is the Coleman-Norton conjecture?

The Coleman-Norton conjecture, also known as the "Coleman symmetry," is a conjecture in string theory that relates the spacetime symmetries of a string theory to the symmetries of its worldsheet. It was proposed by Sidney Coleman and Richard Norton in 1989 and has been an important area of research in theoretical physics.

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