  This paper is concerned with a way of thinking about the standard model that
explains the existence of three fermion families and the value of the fine
structure constant. The main idea is that the ultraviolet divergences that we
encounter in the quantum field theories of the standard model, when interpreted
appropriately, have a deep physical significance that leads to new
relationships between the physical and bare masses quarks and leptons. This
interpretation is based on the assumption of a quantum gravity induced
ultraviolet cutoff at the Planck scale and a novel approach to mass
renormalization in which the usual perturbation series for the self-mass of a
quark or lepton is rearranged and formally summed. Perturbing around the
formally summed expression leads to self-consistency equations for the physical
quark and lepton masses with multiple solutions that lie outside the reach of
conventional perturbation theory. When applied to the standard model at the
lowest level of approximation, this approach explains how three generations of
charged leptons with a mass spectrum and a value of the fine structure constant
in rough agreement with experiment can emerge from a universal bare mass and
bare electromagnetic charge. This approach also explains how three generations
of physical quark doublets (six flavors) can emerge from a universal bare
doublet and bare color charge. Finally, it explains the origin of mixing (and
CP violation) and the absence of flavor-changing neutral currents.

General Physics;High Energy Physics - Phenomenology