A Noether Theorem for Markov Processes
Mathematical Physics
2017-08-22 v1 math.MP
Probability
Abstract
Noether's theorem links the symmetries of a quantum system with its conserved quantities, and is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics. Here we prove a version of Noether's theorem for Markov processes. In quantum mechanics, an observable commutes with the Hamiltonian if and only if its expected value remains constant in time for every state. For Markov processes that no longer holds, but an observable commutes with the Hamiltonian if and only if both its expected value and standard deviation are constant in time for every state.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1203.2035,
title = {A Noether Theorem for Markov Processes},
author = {John C. Baez and Brendan Fong},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1203.2035},
year = {2017}
}
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9 pages