PIRSA:15050113

Timeless configuration space and the emergence of classical behavior for closed systems

APA

Gomes, H. (2015). Timeless configuration space and the emergence of classical behavior for closed systems. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/15050113

MLA

Gomes, Henrique. Timeless configuration space and the emergence of classical behavior for closed systems. Perimeter Institute, May. 28, 2015, https://pirsa.org/15050113

BibTex

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:15050113,
            doi = {10.48660/15050113},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/15050113},
            author = {Gomes, Henrique},
            keywords = {Quantum Foundations},
            language = {en},
            title = {Timeless configuration space and the emergence of classical behavior for closed systems},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2015},
            month = {may},
            note = {PIRSA:15050113 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Henrique Gomes

University of Oxford

Talk number
PIRSA:15050113
Collection
Abstract

In this talk, I will explore a timeless interpretation of quantum mechanics of closed systems, solely in terms of path integrals in non-relativistic timeless configuration space. What prompts a fresh look at the foundational problems in this context, is the advent of multiple gravitational models in which Lorentz symmetry is only emergent. In this setting, I propose a new understanding of records as certain relations between two configurations, the recorded one and the record-holding one. These relations are formalized through  a factorization of the amplitude kernel, which forbids unwanted 'recoherence' of branches. On this basis, I show that in simple cases the Born rule is consistent with counting the relative density of observers with the same records. Furthermore, unlike what occurs in consistent histories,  in this context there is indeed a preferred notion of coarse-grainings: those centered around piece-wise classical paths in configuration space (with a certain radius).  Thus, this new understanding  claims to resolve aspects of the measurement problem which are still deemed controversial in the standard approaches (but which probably leaves others open...).