Related papers: Clockwork Quantum Universe
Cosmological perturbations are generally described by quantum fields on (curved but) classical space-times. While this strategy has a large domain of validity, it can not be justified in the quantum gravity era where curvature and matter…
We review the Montevideo Interpretation of quantum mechanics, which is based on the use of real clocks to describe physics, using the framework recently introduced by Hoehn, Smith and Lock to treat the problem of time in generally covariant…
One classical theory, as determined by an equation of motion or set of classical trajectories, can correspond to many unitarily {\em in}equivalent quantum theories upon canonical quantization. This arises from a remarkable ambiguity, not…
This is a brief, popular (non-technical) introduction (in Italian language) to the problem of quantum gravity, to the recent perspective of emergent spacetime and to its (potential) realization in the context of group field theories, in…
Clocks play a special role at the interface of general relativity and quantum mechanics. We analyze a clock-interferometry thought experiment and go on to theoretically derive and experimentally test a complementarity relation for quantum…
A recently introduced discrete formalism allows to solve the problem of time in quantum gravity in a relational manner. Quantum mechanics formulated with a relational time is not exactly unitary and implies a fundamental mechanism for…
We use the polygon representation of 2+1--dimensional gravity to explicitly carry out the canonical quantization of a universe with the topology of a torus. The mapping-class-invariant wave function for a quantum ''big bounce'', is…
This paper gives an elementary introduction to some of the conceptual problems of quantum cosmology. Contents: 1. Why quantum cosmology? 2. Time in quantum gravity 3.Decoherence and the recovery of the Schrodinger equation 4. The direction…
It is argued that substantial portions of both Newtonian particle mechanics and general relativity can be viewed as relational (rather than absolute) theories. I furthermore use the relational particle models as toy models to investigate…
Interpretational problems with quantum mechanics can be phrased precisely by only talking about empirically accessible information. This prompts a mathematical reformulation of quantum mechanics in terms of classical mechanics. We survey…
A non-relativistic quantum mechanical theory is proposed that describes the universe as a continuum of worlds whose mutual interference gives rise to quantum phenomena. A logical framework is introduced to properly deal with propositions…
Effective quantum cosmology is formulated with a realistic global internal time given by the electric vector potential. New possibilities for the quantum behavior of space-time are found, and the high-density regime is shown to be very…
Quantum Gravity by Causal Dynamical Triangulation has over the last few years emerged as a serious contender for a nonperturbative description of the theory. It is a nonperturbative implementation of the sum-over-histories, which relies on…
Quantum gravity is known to be mostly a kind of metaphysical speculation. In this brief essay, we try to argue that, although still extremely difficult to reach, observational signatures can in fact be expected. The early universe is an…
Strategies intended to resolve the problem of time in quantum gravity by means of emergent or hidden timefunctions are considered in the arena of relational particle toy models. In situations with `heavy' and `light' degrees of freedom, two…
In a wide range of quantum gravity theories, quasiclassical geometries, which are solutions to the Einstein field equations approximately, are described by "coherent states." Here we propose a Hamiltonian formalism for gravitational…
Some of the important non-classical aspects of quantum mechanics can be described in more intuitive terms if they are reformulated in a geometrical picture based on an extension of the classical phase space. This contribution presents…
A new realist interpretation of quantum mechanics is introduced. Quantum systems are shown to have two kinds of properties: the usual ones described by values of quantum observables, which are called extrinsic, and those that can be…
From the Physics point of view, time is now best described through General Relativity, as part of space-time which is a dynamical object encoding gravity. Time possesses also some intrinsic irreversibility due to thermodynamics, quantum…
We consider the quantum partition function for a system of quantum spinors and then derive an equivalent (or dual) classical partition function for some scalar degrees of freedom. The coupling between scalars is non-trivial (e.g. a model on…