The strand conjecture provides a simple explanation for the origin of the three gauge groups in nature – and for the absence of any other gauge group.
● How strands lead to gauge symmetry
● What is quantum field theory?
● Testable predictions of
strand gauge theory
● Bibliography
Summary: gauge theory from strands
Strands allow us to derive, from their single fundamental principle, the three observed gauge theories. More precisely, strands provide a microscopic model for the three gauge groups U(1), broken SU(2), and SU(3): They are due to the three Reidemeister moves. Strands do not allow any other gauge group.
Strands prove that the standard model of particle physics is unique, complete and beautiful.
How strands lead to gauge symmetry
In nature, only three gauge symmetries are observed: U(1) for electrodynamics, broken SU(2) for the weak interaction, and SU(3) for the strong interaction. In the tangle model of particles, gauge symmetries are due to strand deformation in the particle core. Deformations can be classified; this is done by the so-called Reidemeister moves. The main discovery is: Each Reidemeister move corresponds to a gauge group.
In nature, gauge symmetry is due to the freedom to define particle phase. In the tangle model of particles, gauge symmetry is due to the same freedom. The particle phase is defined with the help of strand crossings. Every crossing has the same properties that particle states, i.e., wave functions, also have. Wave functions are explored on a separate page.
The first Reidemeister moves, the twists, generate U(1),
the second Reidemeister moves, the pokes, generate SU(2),
and the third Reidemeister moves, the slides, generate SU(3).
These are the main properties of strand deformations.
Because there are only three Reidemeister moves, there are only three gauge groups. This connection solves all questions about gauge theories. Strands imply that there is no other gauge group, in particular, no grand unification and no supersymmetry.
What is quantum field theory?
The following statements are taken from the publication on quantum chromodynamics.
In the strand conjecture, a quantum field is a loose, fluctuating tangle that is made of strands with Planck radius.
The fluctuations of the strand crossings, averaged over time, produce probability densities. The tangle topology fixes the particle type and its quantum numbers. The tangle model allows producing extended, continuous distributions, i.e., fields, while also allowing the counting of discrete particles. The tangle model automatically yields indistinguishable, identical particles. The tangle model reproduces spin and statistics, as well as their connection.
The tangle model implies that particles are countable and localized excitations of the (untangled) vacuum: the excitation is the tangling. The (rational) tangle model reproduces particle creation by tangling, particle annihilation by untangling, particle absorption by tangle combination and particle emission by tangle separation. Vacuum excitations lead both to particles and to antiparticles. The (rational) tangle model also implies that particles can transform into each other: different tangles can be combined and single tangles can be separated into two tangles.
The tangle model implies that interactions are deformations of tangles. The tangle model implies that interactions are local - within Planck dimensions. The tangle model implies that the interaction spectrum is limited, by the Reidemeister moves, to the three known gauge groups of the standard model. The tangle model implies that the weak interaction violates parity, breaks SU(2), and violates CP invariance, in contrast to the electromagnetic and the strong interaction. The tangle model implies that fermions mix, described by unitary mixing matrices. The tangle model implies that couplings are unique and run with four-momentum.
The tangle model implies that perturbation expansions are due to more complex tangles arising at small scales. The tangle model implies the same perturbation expansion as conventional quantum field theory.
The tangle model implies that quantum fields have a Lagrangian and follow the principle of least action. (This eliminates quantum field theories without Lagrangians.) The tangle model implies that couplings are weak. The tangle model implies that the standard model is renormalizable: tangles allow at most quadruple vertices. The tangle model implies that quantum fields have an (unusual) strong coupling regime - in the tangle cores. The tangle model implies that quantum fields have an approximate duality between strong and weak coupling - but not an exact one. The tangle model implies that quantum fields have topological aspects - but are not topological quantum field theories. The tangle model implies that space is continuous, and not non-commutative or fermionic. The tangle model of elementary particles is free of anomalies because the standard model is. The tangle model provides the desired argument explaining why: the lack of anomalies is due to the topology of the elementary particle tangles and to the particle spectrum resulting from tangle classification.
The tangle model implies that there is a natural cut-off at the Planck scale. The tangle model implies that there is a well-defined continuum limit - within Planck dimensions. The tangle model also implies that all observables are local - within Planck dimensions. The tangle model implies that observables obey axiomatic quantum field theory - within Planck dimensions and limits.
The tangle model implies that physical space has three dimensions at all scales, that there is only one vacuum state and that flat empty space-time is Lorentz-invariant.
Any counter-example to any of the statements above directly invalidates the strand conjecture.
Testable predictions of strand gauge theory
Strands provide a simple explanation of the observed gauge groups U(1), broken SU(2), and SU(3). Strands explain the origin of gauge symmetry and of gauge groups.
The strand explanation of gauge groups is unique.
There is no other explanation of the gauge groups in the literature.
There is no other, equally simple explanation in the literature.
There is no other explanation ab initio.
There is no other explanation that eliminates other possible symmetries.
There is no other explanation that agrees with experiments.
The strand explanation is consistent. The gauge groups arise as consequences of the same idea with which Dirac explained spin 1/2, with which Battey-Pratt and Racey explained the Dirac equation, with which the field equations of general relativity arise, and with which the entropy of black holes can be deduced.
The strand explanation is complete. Strands also determine the particle spectrum, the fundamental constants, and general relativity. No question remains unanswered.
The strand explanation is predictive. Additional gauge groups, additional dimensions, additional particles, additional interactions, additional symmetries - be they local, global, discrete, supersymmetric, or non-commutative - and additional energy scales are all not possible in nature. Above all, values for the fundamental constants that differ from the observed ones are not possible. In other words, the tangle model does not allow generalizations. This feature of a quantum field theory is unusual, but it is required and expected from any unified model.
All predictions can be summarized in a single statement: there is no physics whatsoever beyond the standard model with massive Dirac neutrinos and PMNS mixing and beyond general relativity.
In science, every statement must be checked continuously, again and again. This is ongoing. A sweeping statement like "strands explain gauge theory and quantum field theory, and allow no modification" must be checked with particular care. If you have a potential counterargument or notice a missing issue, just send a note.
More detailed and specific predictions and bets have been formulated here. Finding any single observation falsifying the strand conjecture or the standard model, or just finding an alternative, correct and inequivalent description of gauge theory – or of nature – wins the bet.
It appears that the strand explanation of gauge theory is unique, simple, ab initio, consistent, complete, predictive and correct.
Bibliography
This simple introduction for mathematicians, physicists and physics
students explains how Reidemeister
moves and the gauge groups U(1), SU(2) and SU(3) are related. 
*
An exploration of quantum chromodynamics and the quark model was
published as C. Schiller, Testing a conjecture on quantum chromodynamics,
International
Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics DOI:
10.1142/S0219887823500950. Download the
preprint here.
An exploration of quantum electrodynamics was published as
C. Schiller, Testing a conjecture on quantum
electrodynamics,
Journal of
Geometry and Physics 178 (2022) 104551.
Download the preprint
here.
*
A dedicated discussion of the strand description of the standard model was published as C. Schiller, Testing a conjecture on the origin of the
standard model, European Physical Journal Plus 136 (2021)
79. Download it at doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-020-01046-8. Read the published paper online for free at
rdcu.be/cdwSI. Download the
preprint here.
*
The first publication on the strand model was C. Schiller, A conjecture on deducing
general relativity and the standard model with its fundamental constants from
rational
tangles of strands, Physics of Particles and Nuclei
50 (2019) 259–299. Download the published paper at
dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1063779619030055. Read the published paper online for free at rdcu.be/cdCK7.
Download the
preprint here, with films.
*
The first text that explained the relation between gauge groups and strands, in 2009, is available from arxiv as https://arxiv.org/abs/0905.3905.