Abstract
No-go theorems attract widespread interest in the philosophy of physics. These results from the foundations of physics are distinctive for their logical force and counter-intuitive implications. A classic example that has attracted much philosophical attention is Haag's theorem, a result in quantum field theory showing that a certain standard methods for modeling interacting fields, known as the interaction picture, rests on an inconsistent set of assumptions. This symposium takes focuses on the case of Haag's theorem in order to explore larger issues concerning the significance and value of no-go type theorems. the speakers will (i) present alternatives to reading it as a pessimistic, no-go result; (ii) explore the deeper implications of its generalizations; (iii) consider the roles of idealization and mathematical rigour in understanding the relationship between `bottom' and `top' physics; and (iv) highlight the recent results and future prospects for the rigorous construction of interacting quantum fields.
