field theoryn.
/ˈfiːld θɪəri/, U.S. /ˈfil(d) ˌθiəri/, /ˈfil(d) ˌθɪri/ A theory concerning fields (in various senses) or in which the idea of a field is the dominant concept; spec. (a) Physics a theory that explains physical phenomena in terms of a field (field n.1 15a) and the manner in which it interacts with matter or with other fields; (b) Mathematics the branch of algebra concerned with fields (field n.1 16a) and their applications. Frequently with modifying word.quantum, unified field theory, etc.: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > branch of knowledge > [noun] > theory as opposed to practice > theory about fields
field theory1922
1891 Science 19 June 347/1 These theories of storms:..(4) The electric field theory.
1897 Ann. Math. 11 66 This paper is an application of the Galois Field theory.]
1922 G. B. Jeffery & W. Perrett tr. A. Einstein Sidelights Relativity 23 The facts comprised in the quantum theory may set bounds to the field theory.
1929 A. Einstein in Nature 2 Feb. 175/1 The purpose of my work is..to reduce to one formula the explanation of the field of gravity and of the field of electromagnetism. For this reason I call it a contribution to ‘a unified field theory’.
1964 R. H. Robins Gen. Linguistics ii. 70 The theory..of the linguistic field, or the field theory of meaning, is concerned to show that the lexical content of a language..is not a mere conglomeration or aggregation of independent items.
1967 L. Rédei Algebra I. ii. 36 The most important chapters of algebra are group theory, ring theory and the theory of skew fields (in particular field theory).
1988 T. Ferris Coming of Age in Milky Way (1989) iii. xvi. 309 The foremost application of this realization came with the development of ‘gauge’ field theory.
2004 A. Watson Quantum Quark vi. 298 The bête noire of perturbative field theory, an infinity.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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