As part of a lecture on the relationship between symmetry and conservation laws (Volume I, Chapter 52), Feynman casually drops that the symmetry under a shift in quantum mechanical phase is related to the conservation of electrical charge. Huh?!?!?
Victor Stenger wrote a very good introductory level paper on gauge symmetry. At least, I think it's introductory level, but I've been pouring over a lot of this stuff over the past few months, so maybe it isn't all that easy.
Anyway, the paper explains Feynman's comments well.
[Updated: the paper has been pulled, but appears to be available elsewhere. Link updated 2004.07.17]
February 14, 2004 10:09 PM
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The Stenger paper has been pulled from the archive. Fortunately I already had a copy.
Comment by: Ali Tabougeh July 17,2004