potentialsare

Potentialsare is a term used in some discussions to describe a viewpoint in physics and philosophy of science that treats the scalar potential φ and the vector potential A as primary descriptors of physical reality, with fields being derived quantities. It is not a mainstream label in physics and has no widely accepted formal framework; rather, it appears in speculative writings and debates about the interpretation of gauge theories.

In the potentialsare view, the mathematical objects φ and A carry ontological or explanatory weight beyond their role as convenient tools for calculating electric and magnetic fields. Proponents suggest that potentials may encode information that is not fully captured by fields alone, and they point to phenomena such as the Aharonov–Bohm effect, where quantum phases depend on potentials even in regions with vanishing fields. Critics argue that these claims either rest on reinterpreting standard electromagnetism or rely on controversial interpretational assumptions. In mainstream practice, electromagnetism and quantum electrodynamics continue to use potentials as calculational devices constrained by gauge symmetry, without declaring them more fundamental than the fields.

Because potentialsare is not part of a formally established theory, it remains primarily a topic of philosophical inquiry rather than a separate physical framework. Debates typically emphasize distinguishing computational tools from physical observables and warn against equating mathematical convenience with ontological primacy.

Related topics include scalar and vector potentials, gauge invariance, the Aharonov–Bohm effect, potential theory in mathematics, and gauge theory.