Where does Born-Infeld theory emerge from?

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In summary, Born-Infeld theory emerges from the study of string theory and describes the dynamics of higher dimensional objects called D-branes. It has greatly contributed to our understanding of nonperturbative aspects of string theory and revealed that seemingly different theories are actually part of a larger theory known as M-theory. To fully understand D-branes, one must first have a grasp of the fundamentals of string theory.
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Where does Born-Infeld theory emerge from? How can one obtain/derive its lagrangian action? And most importantly, what does it describe?
 
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Originally posted by dextercioby
Where does Born-Infeld theory emerge from?

Where does your question "emerge from"?
 
  • #3
I've been in Dubna last year for about a month.I had alist of about 7 books on superstrings,and, the only one in Enlglish i found at the "Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics" was the one written by Lars Brink and Marc Henneaux "Principles of string theory".Havind just read Dirac's book"Principles of QM",i thought "It can't be that difficult".I opened the book and never got beyond the first page where lied only one formula:the Born-Infeld action.Obviously,having no idea abot that thing,i found no point in reading the next pages.
Satisfied with my answer?
 
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The born-infeld action governs the dynamics of higher dimensional objects called D-branes. Over the last decade they've helped reveal a great deal about nonperturbative aspects of string theory and in particular that what appeared to be many different theories are actually different backgrounds of a unique theory called M-theory. But to understand D-branes one must first learn the basics of string theory since D-branes first appear, in connection with a symmetry known as T-duality, as surfaces on which open strings end.
 
  • #5
Thanks for setting things straight,man.
 

1. Where did the Born-Infeld theory originate from?

The Born-Infeld theory was first proposed by physicists Max Born and Leopold Infeld in 1934. They were attempting to find a way to reconcile the infinities that arise in classical electromagnetic theory with the finite properties of real-world electric fields.

2. How does Born-Infeld theory differ from classical electromagnetic theory?

In classical electromagnetic theory, the strength of an electric field can become infinite at a point charge. In Born-Infeld theory, the electric field is constrained to remain finite, even at the location of a point charge. This results in a more well-behaved theory with no singularities.

3. Is Born-Infeld theory widely accepted in the scientific community?

Yes, Born-Infeld theory has gained widespread acceptance and is used in many areas of theoretical physics, including string theory and cosmology. It has also been experimentally tested and shown to accurately describe certain physical phenomena.

4. Can you explain the mathematical formulation of Born-Infeld theory?

Born-Infeld theory is a nonlinear extension of Maxwell's equations, which describe classical electromagnetic theory. It introduces an additional term in the Lagrangian density that includes a square root of the determinant of the sum of the electromagnetic field strength tensor and a constant known as the 'Born-Infeld parameter'.

5. What implications does Born-Infeld theory have for our understanding of the universe?

Born-Infeld theory has important implications for our understanding of the behavior of electric and magnetic fields in extreme conditions, such as near black holes or during the early universe. It also plays a role in theoretical models for the fundamental forces of nature, including attempts to unify gravity with the other three fundamental forces.

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