Yang-Mills Theory and the Mass Gap

Scientists believe that there are four, and only four, fundamental forces of nature: gravity, the strong force, electromagnetism, and the weak force.  In the ongoing search for a grand unified theory, physicists and mathematicians are working hard at combing these forces into one theory.  The last two have succesfully been combined into the electroweak force, but the strong force, which holds the nucleus together, hasn't yet been incorporated into the theory, much less gravity.  But things are looking up for the strong force!

Subatomic particles, such as the protons one finds in the nuclei of atoms, have mass.  Now what's the Mass Gap?  The Yang-Mills equations - which are supposed to fully explain the behavior of those subatomic particles - contain no mass terms!  Since we know that protons have mass, if the equations cannot account for it, they'll have to be ditched.   

So do the equations let mass into the picture?  Scientists say yes. Supposedly, the Yang-Mills theory makes predictions which have been empirically confirmed to an exceedingly high degree of accuracy.  We know, say the scientists, that there is a mass gap, and we know just how big it is too.  Yet thus far nobody has proven that the equations can account for the mass of the subatomic particles they are supposed to fully describe.  Indeed, nobody has even solved the equations! Still, I think I'll violate a usual personal norm of behavior and retain a hopeful optimism as far as Yang and Mills are concerned.

Comments

[JB]

Scott,

This is your uncle. Do souls have mass? If so they must be tangable, albeit on a microscpoic level and therefore could potentially be subject to the laws of commerce as stipulated on a site such as Ebay. Even if they dont have mass then they could possibly be sold as intellectual property - let me know as I only seek the truth!