The Topological Origin of Quantum Randomness

Autor: Stefan Heusler, Paul Schlummer, Malte S. Ubben
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Symmetry, Vol 13, Iss 4, p 581 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2073-8994
DOI: 10.3390/sym13040581
Popis: What is the origin of quantum randomness? Why does the deterministic, unitary time development in Hilbert space (the ‘4π-realm’) lead to a probabilistic behaviour of observables in space-time (the ‘2π-realm’)? We propose a simple topological model for quantum randomness. Following Kauffmann, we elaborate the mathematical structures that follow from a distinction(A,B) using group theory and topology. Crucially, the 2:1-mapping from SL(2,C) to the Lorentz group SO(3,1) turns out to be responsible for the stochastic nature of observables in quantum physics, as this 2:1-mapping breaks down during interactions. Entanglement leads to a change of topology, such that a distinction between A and B becomes impossible. In this sense, entanglement is the counterpart of a distinction (A,B). While the mathematical formalism involved in our argument based on virtual Dehn twists and torus splitting is non-trivial, the resulting haptic model is so simple that we think it might be suitable for undergraduate courses and maybe even for High school classes.
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