Related papers: Path integral and particle ontology
An extension of the classical action principle obtained in the framework of the gauge transformations, is used to describe the motion of a particle. This extension assigns many, but not all, paths to a particle. Properties of the particle…
The alternative dynamics of loop quantum cosmology is examined by the path integral formulation. We consider the spatially flat FRW models with a massless scalar field, where the alternative quantization inherit more features from full loop…
In this paper we present a stepwise construction of the path integral over relativistic orbits in Euclidean spacetime. It is shown that the apparent problems of this path integral, like the breakdown of the naive Chapman-Kolmogorov…
We discuss the issues with tentative generalisations of the process matrix formalism from finite-dimensional mechanical systems all the way to quantum field theory. We present a detailed overview of possible open problems that arise when…
It is shown that adopting the \emph{Quantum Field} ---extended entity in space-time build by dynamic appearance propagation and annihilation of virtual particles--- as the primary ontology the astonishing features of quantum mechanics can…
The Feynman path integral does not allow a "one real path" interpretation, because amplitudes contribute to probabilities in a non-separable manner. The opposite extreme, "all paths happen", is not a useful or informative account. In this…
The issue of ontology in quantum mechanics, or equivalently the issue of the reality of the wave function is critically examined within standard quantum theory. It is argued that though no strict ontology is possible within quantum theory,…
A space-time symmetric and explicitly Lorentz covariant path integral formalism of relativistic quantum mechanics is proposed, which produces partial locally correlations of quantum processes of massive particles with the velocity of light…
We introduce configuration space path integrals for quantum fields interacting with classical fields. We show that this can be done consistently by proving that the dynamics are completely positive directly, without resorting to master…
I study several aspects of the path(st) integral we formulated in previous papers on energetic causal sets with Cortes and others. The focus here is on quantum field theories, including the standard model of particle physics. I show that…
Despite its name, Quantum Field Theory (QFT) has been built to describe interactions between localizable particles. For this reason the actual formalism of QFT is partly based on a suitable generalization of the one already used for systems…
Physical path integral formulation of motion of particles in Riemannian spaces is outlined and extended to deduce the corresponding field theoretical formulation. For the special case of a zero rest mass particle in Minkowski manifold, it…
Based on a clear ontology of material individuals, we analyze in detail the factual semantics of quantum theory, and argue that the basic mathematical formalism of quantum theory is just okay with (a certain form of ) realism and that it is…
In this paper, I provide a formal set of assumptions and give a natural criterion for a quantum field theory to admit particles. I construct a na\"ive approach to localization for a free bosonic quantum field theory and show how this…
Quantum tunneling in a many-body system is much more non-trivial than that in a one-body system. The most characteristic phenomenon is the mixed tunneling, which has been studied in many fields for decades. For instance, let us consider a…
Perturbative quantum field theory usually uses second quantisation and Feynman diagrams. The worldline formalism provides an alternative approach based on first quantised particle path integrals, similar in spirit to string perturbation…
The identification of physical degrees of freedom is sometimes obscured in the path integral formalism, and this makes it difficult to impose some constraints or to do some approximations. I review a number of cases where the difficulty is…
What are quantum entities? Is the quantum domain deterministic or probabilistic? Orthodox quantum theory (OQT) fails to answer these two fundamental questions. As a result of failing to answer the first question, OQT is very seriously…
We show how to construct path integrals for quantum mechanical systems where the space of configurations is a general non-compact symmetric space. Associated with this path integral is a perturbation theory which respects the global…
This paper presents a research program aimed at establishing relational foundations for relativistic quantum physics. Although the formalism is still under development, we believe it has matured enough to be shared with the broader…