Renormalization

Renormalization is a collection of techniques in quantum field theory, statistical field theory, and the theory of self-similar geometric structures, that is used to treat infinities arising in calculated quantities by altering values of these quantities to compensate for effects of their self-interactions. Even if no infinities arose in loop diagrams in quantum field theory, it can be shown that it is necessary to renormalize the mass and fields appearing in the original Lagrangian. This is the dominant method used in theoretical physics to treat these divergent quantities due its broad applicability, though more limited but rigorous approaches like causal perturbation theory are also used.