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From: clt@pur-phy.UUCP (Carrick Talmadge)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: q.e.d.  Q.E.D.
Message-ID: <1285@pur-phy.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Apr-84 14:32:15 EST
Article-I.D.: pur-phy.1285
Posted: Fri Apr  6 14:32:15 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Apr-84 01:29:09 EST
References: <1284@pur-phy.UUCP>
Organization: Purdue University Physics Dept.
Lines: 18


Also, continuing Dwight's defence of Q.E.D., one must distinguish
between infinities which arise as a consequence of the field theory,
and infinities which arise as a consequence of the method by which
we obtain solutions to that field theory (namely via the quantum
perturbation method).  Infinities may be obtained even in classical
field theories, such as General Relativity, when one does a perturbation
expansion ( the usual example of this is in solving the two body
problem to determine the rate of precession of the perihelion as in the
case of the Sun-Mercury system).  These infinities are eliminated via
"renormalization" just as in the case of a quantum field theory.

				Carrick Talmadge

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