Broken Symmetries and the Masses of Gauge Bosons

In 1964 Peter Higgs wrote a paper entitled, “Broken Symmetries and the Masses of Gauge Bosons,” which proposed the existence of a new fundamental particle of matter based solely upon mathematical deductions arising from the examination of various formulae in physics. Despite being observable solely in the mathematical work done by Peter Higgs, this 1964 paper led a generation of physicists to posit the existence of a fundamental building block of matter with so much explanatory power that the Standard Model of quantum mechanics would collapse without it. No physical experiment could be done…