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Higgs field and Octanions
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The Standard Model of particle physics stands as one of the most successful scientific theories ever conceived. Formulated as a gauge quantum field theory, it describes the fundamental particles of matter and their interactions through the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces with astonishing precision. Its mathematical foundation is the internal symmetry group SU(3) \times SU(2) \times U(1), a structure that elegantly encodes the dynamics of quarks, leptons, and the force-carrying gauge bosons. Yet, for all its predictive power, the Standard Model leaves fundamental questions unanswered. The specific choice of this gauge group, the number of particle generations, and the seemingly arbitrary values of its free parameters suggest the existence of a deeper, more fundamental structure from which the Standard Model itself emerges.
In the search for this underlying framework, physicists and mathematicians have often turned to unique and exceptional mathematical structures, operating on the principle that the most fundamental laws of nature should be rooted in the most profound mathematics. Among the most compelling of these structures are the four normed division algebras over the real numbers: the real numbers (\mathbb{R}), the complex numbers (\mathbb{C}), the quaternions (\mathbb{H}), and the octonions (\mathbb{O}). The historical progression of physics has already validated the importance of the first three. Real numbers form the basis of classical mechanics, complex numbers are indispensable to quantum mechanics, and quaternions are intimately related to the description of spin and the SU(2) symmetry group of the weak force. This pattern naturally leads to a profound question: what is the role of the octonions, the final and most enigmatic of these algebras?.
This report addresses a central query that lies at the intersection of established physics and this speculative frontier: Is the Higgs field, the cornerstone of the Standard Model's mechanism for mass generation, a scalar field of octonions? To answer this, it is necessary first to provide a definitive and rigorous description of the Higgs field as it is defined within the canonical Standard Model. Subsequently, this report will explore the mathematical properties of the octonions, highlighting the profound obstacles to their direct integration into conventional quantum field theory. Finally, it will delve into the cutting-edge research programs that, despite these challenges, seek to construct the Standard Model from an octonionic foundation, paying special attention to how the Higgs sector is re-imagined and derived within these alternative frameworks. The objective is to provide a clear answer based on established theory while offering an exhaustive analysis of the speculative but powerful ideas that may one day explain the origins of the Standard Model's structure.
Published on 2 months, 1 week ago