Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0711.2978

Stochastic Mechanics as a Gauge Theory

Claudio Albanese

Published Nov 19, 2007• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We show that non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics can be faithfully represented in terms of a classical diffusion process endowed with a gauge symmetry of group Z_4. The representation is based on a quantization condition for the realized action along paths. A lattice regularization is introduced to make rigorous sense of the construction and then removed. Quantum mechanics is recovered in the continuum limit and the full U(1) gauge group symmetry of electro-magnetism appears. Anti-particle representations emerge naturally, albeit the context is non-relativistic. Quantum density matrices are obtained by averaging classical probability distributions over phase-action variables. We find that quantum conditioning can be described in classical terms but not through the standard notion of sub sigma-algebras. Delicate restrictions arise by the constraint that we are only interested in the algebra of gauge invariant random variables. We conclude that Quantum Mechanics is equivalent to a theory of gauge invariant classical stochastic processes we call Stochastic Mechanics.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.0711.2978

Related papers

EQUIVALENCE OF STOCHASTIC, KLAUDER AND GEOMETRIC QUANTIZATION

K. Hajra, P. Bandyopadhyay

The relativistic generalization of stochastic quantization helps us to introduce a stochastic-phase-space formulation when a relativistic quantum particle appears as a stochastically extended one. The nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is obtained in the sharp point limit. This also helps us to introduce a gauge-theoretical extension of a relativistic quantum particle when for a fermion the group structure of the gauge field is SU(2). The sharp point limit is obtained when we have a minimal contribution of the residual gauge field retained in the limiting procedure. This is shown to be equivalent to the geometrical approach to the phase-space quantization introduced by Klauder if it is interpreted in terms of a universal magnetic field acting on a free particle moving in a higher-dimensional configuration space when quantization corresponds to freezing the particle to its first Landau level. The geometric quantization then appears as a natural consequence of these two formalisms, since the Hermitian line bundle introduced there finds a physical meaning in terms of the inherent gauge field in stochastic-phase-space formulation or in the interaction with the magnetic field in Klauder quantization.

International Journal of Modern Physics A•Mar 10, 1992•6 citations

Stochastic quantum mechanics and quantum spacetime : a consistent unification of relativity and quantum theory based on stochastic spaces

Eduard Prugovečki

I: Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1 / Nonrelativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1.1 Stochastic Values and Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.2. Sharp Localizability and Systems of Imprimitivity.- 1.3. Stochastic Localizability and Systems of Co variance.- 1.4. Phase-Space Representations of the Galilei Group.- 1.5. Localizability in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.6. Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 1.7. Resolution Generators and Gauge Freedom in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.8. Stochastic Probability Currents and Their Sharp-Point Limits.- 1.9. Propagators in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.10. Quantum Stochastic Processes and Phase-Space Path Integrals.- 1.11. Semiclassical Propagators in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.12. The Physical Nature and the Measurement of Proper Wave Functions and of Stochastic Position and Momentum.- Notes.- 2 / Relativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.1. The Nonexistence of Relativistic Probability Currents at Sharp Space time Points.- 2.2. The Unfeasibility of Sharp Localization in Relativistic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.3. Phase-Space Representations of the Poincare Group.- 2.4. Resolution Generators and Relativistic Phase-Space Representations.- 2.5. Localizability in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.6. Systems of Covariance in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.7. Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations and Gauge Freedom.- 2.8. Relativistically Covariant and Conserved Probability and Charge Currents.- 2.9. Propagators in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.10. Relativistic Extended Quantum Particles in External Electromagnetic Fields.- Notes.- 3 / Statistical Mechanics on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.1. Phase-Space Representations of Quantum Statistical Mechanics.- 3.2. Informational Equivalence and Completeness of POV Measures.- 3.3. Generalized Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 3.4. Classical and Quantum Mechanics in L2 (?N).- 3.5. Classical and Quantum Statistical Mechanics in Master Liouville Space ?(?N).- 3.6. Quantum Observables as Density Distributions on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.7. Unified Formulations of Classical and Quantum Boltzmann Equations and Scattering Cross-Sections.- Notes.- II: Quantum Spacetime.- 4 / Reciprocity Theory and the Geometrization of Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 4.1. The Operational Foundations of Special and General Relativity.- 4.2. Coordinate Fluctuation Amplitudes for Coherent Flows of Quantum Test Particles.- 4.3. Quantum Lorentz Frames and Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 4.4. General Quantum Spacetimes and Stochastic Geometries.- 4.5. Reciprocity Theory and Born's Quantum Metric Operator.- 4.6. Unitary Internal Symmetries and Generalized Representations of Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations.- Notes.- 5 / Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.1. Free Scalar Fields on Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 5.2. LSZ Formalism and Causality on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.3. Lagrangian Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.4. Dirac Bispinors and Free Fields on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.5. Photon Localizability and the Electromagnetic Field on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.6. Reciprocally Invariant Quantum Electrodynamics for Extended Fermions.- Notes.- Appendix A / Elements of Measure Theory.- Appendix B / Elements of Operator Theory on Hilbert Spaces.- Notes.- References.

•Jan 1, 1984•10 citations

Stochastic Theory of Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

M. Godart

The stochastic theory of relativistic quantum mechanics presented here is modelled on the one that has been proposed previously and that was claimed to be a promising substitute to the orthodox theory in the non-relativistic domain. So it also relies heavily upon the theory of stochastic processes, with its definitions, theorems and specific vocabulary as well. Its main hypothesis states indeed that the classical trajectories of the particles are identical to the sample functions of a diffusion Markov process, whose conditional probability density is proposed as a substitute for the wave function. Along the way, we introduce ad hoc hypotheses for the sole reason that they facilitate and even make possible the further development of the theory. These and the so-called Nelson equations are used to determine the drift vectors and the diffusion tensor characteristic of such a process. It is then possible to write down the Fokker-Planck and Kolmogorov equations that can be used to determine the normal and conditional probability densities. This logical sequence of steps leads to the solution of specific problems and we apply it to the special case of the free particle.

arXiv:1412.1508•Dec 3, 2014•0 citations

On the Origin of Quantum Mechanics: A Representation Theory of Symmetry Groups

Ruhi Abdallah

We present a group-theoretic reconstruction of quantum mechanics in which the standard formalism emerges from the representation theory of symmetry groups rather than being introduced axiomatically. Starting from physically motivated symmetry principles, we show how the conventional postulates of quantum mechanics including the Hilbert space structure of states, observables as generators of symmetry transformations, the Born probability rule, unitary time evolution, the composition of multipartite systems, and the measurement framework can be recovered within a unified representation-theoretic framework. We then examine the measurement problem by interpreting wave-function collapse as the scattering of quantum states, thereby providing an account of the apparent loss of information. Finally, we investigate the origin of Planck's constant, proposing that it arises as the conserved charge of the Lorentz symmetry group. In this formulation, $\hbar$ is an invariant that relates Lie algebra generators to observable quantities and fixes the scale of quantum action. This framework offers a conceptually unified perspective on the foundations of quantum mechanics, connecting its postulates, measurement theory, and the emergence of the quantum of action to a common symmetry-based origin while identifying conditions under which the conventional quantum formalism is recovered.

•Aug 18, 2026•0 citations

Stochastic mechanics of a relativistic spinless particle

Gian Fabrizio De Angelis

An extension of Nelson’s stochastic mechanics to the relativistic domain is proposed. To each pure state of a spinless relativistic quantum particle corresponds a Markov process t ]ξt, where the random variable ξt represents, at every time t, the space position of the particle in the sense of Newton and Wigner. The process t ]ξt is not a diffusion but the usual Nelson’s theory is restored in the nonrelativistic limit.

Journal of Mathematical Physics•Jun 1, 1990•14 citations

Quantum Free Particle, Stochastic Action and Its Link to Special Relativity

Francesco R. Ruggeri

In (1), the notion of a stochastic classical action is introduced and a probability is linked to exp( constant * action). The objective of (1) is not to derive quantum mechanics, but to derive stochastic dynamics based on maximum entropy in action space. We have argued in a number of previous notes (2) that one may use the classical action to create a quantum free particle probability. This classical action, however, is not chosen a priori, but rather arises due to other considerations. We suggest that stochasticity is present in Newtonian mechanics at some time scale because dt is finite in dp/dt= Force (Newton’s second law) and so postulate that force delivery at some x,t is probabilistic within some dt and dx. A priori, dt and dx are not known, but if there is stochasticity, there should be a free particle probability, i.e. a probability(x,t) where x,t represent an x, t interaction point. Furthermore, the notion of dx and dt should arise naturally. We note that the form exp(i function(x,t,p,E) may be introduced because free particles have no distributed variable (like energy in the Maxwell-Boltzmann case). exp(i function(x,t)) immediately introduces periodicity, but we have argued that stochasticity can only exist within tiny, fixed dx, dt linked to dp/dt=F. In particular, one classical Newtonian scales this stochasticity is not seen. The periodicity should be directly in x and t space, suggesting exp( i A1 t + i A2 x). This expression, however, should be Lorentz invariant, and A1 and A2 should be constants, at least for a fixed mo and v. The reason that the one must have periodicity is that the dx and dt ranges of stochasticity in dp/dt=Fr must appear naturally. At this point, one is led to exp(-iEt+ipx) with -Et+px being a Lorentz invariant which satisfies the above criteria. This Lorentz invariant happens to be the classical action in both the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases, hence giving rise to action as being a stochastic variable (of (1)) because it is a function of the two scholastic variables x and t. Alternatively, one may choose the exp(iA1x+iA2t) due to its conservation properties. One may then argue that A1 and A2 could also be conserved for x,t held constant, i.e. A1 and A2 could be linked to Newtonian energy and momentum in elastic collisions. This allows one to solve for the special relativistic g(v) =1/sqrt(1-vv/cc). Given the idea of a conserved quantity form for a probability, one may argue that exp(i Action) satisfies a maximization of Shannon’s entropy subject to a conserved constraint (which is again a link with (1).) The question then becomes: Why should the Lorentz invariant A= -Et+px be the classical action.One may note that x,t usually refer to trajectory values and so for a free particle, one has x=vt. This means that one may factor out t, i.e. A= t( -E+pv), but this is automatically the form of the Lagrangian with E being the Hamiltonian. This holds relativistically and non-relativistically with the form: dL/dv partial = p. The remaining question is: Why should the classical action be Lorentz invariant? We consider E(v)-p(v) v = -L such that dE/dv - v dp/dv -p = -dL/dv partial. This means that dE/dv - v dpd/v = 0 ((1)). A Lorentz transformation, however, changes mo in a rest frame into p=mov/sqrt(1-vv/cc) and E=mocc/sqrt(1-vv/cc). One may see that this solution may be obtained from ((1)) showing a direct link between the classical action approach and special relativity. The connection may be carried further as Lt = -Et+px is a Lorentz invariant, but also the classical action (in both the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases). We argue that the use of the action in (1) as a stochastic variable is directly related to special relativity. In summary, from finite dt in dp/dt=F, t and x are stochastic variables within some naturally appearing dx and dt. One may write a linear combination of x and t and to create a stochastic Lorent invariant variable which should appear in exp(i Lorentz invariant) and create the dx and dt units. It may then be shown that this Lorentz invariant in E,p,x,t should be equivalent to the classical action.

•Jan 26, 2026•0 citations
We show that non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics can be faithfully represented in terms of a classical diffusion process endowed with a gauge symmetry of group Z_4. The representation is based on a quantization condition for the realized action along paths. A lattice regularization is introduced to make rigorous sense of the construction and then removed. Quantum mechanics is recovered in the continuum limit and the full U(1) gauge group symmetry of electro-magnetism appears. Anti-particle representations emerge naturally, albeit the context is non-relativistic. Quantum density matrices are obtained by averaging classical probability distributions over phase-action variables. We find that quantum conditioning can be described in classical terms but not through the standard notion of sub sigma-algebras. Delicate restrictions arise by the constraint that we are only interested in the algebra of gauge invariant random variables. We conclude that Quantum Mechanics is equivalent to a theory of gauge invariant classical stochastic processes we call Stochastic Mechanics.
The relativistic generalization of stochastic quantization helps us to introduce a stochastic-phase-space formulation when a relativistic quantum particle appears as a stochastically extended one. The nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is obtained in the sharp point limit. This also helps us to introduce a gauge-theoretical extension of a relativistic quantum particle when for a fermion the group structure of the gauge field is SU(2). The sharp point limit is obtained when we have a minimal contribution of the residual gauge field retained in the limiting procedure. This is shown to be equivalent to the geometrical approach to the phase-space quantization introduced by Klauder if it is interpreted in terms of a universal magnetic field acting on a free particle moving in a higher-dimensional configuration space when quantization corresponds to freezing the particle to its first Landau level. The geometric quantization then appears as a natural consequence of these two formalisms, since the Hermitian line bundle introduced there finds a physical meaning in terms of the inherent gauge field in stochastic-phase-space formulation or in the interaction with the magnetic field in Klauder quantization.
I: Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1 / Nonrelativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1.1 Stochastic Values and Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.2. Sharp Localizability and Systems of Imprimitivity.- 1.3. Stochastic Localizability and Systems of Co variance.- 1.4. Phase-Space Representations of the Galilei Group.- 1.5. Localizability in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.6. Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 1.7. Resolution Generators and Gauge Freedom in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.8. Stochastic Probability Currents and Their Sharp-Point Limits.- 1.9. Propagators in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.10. Quantum Stochastic Processes and Phase-Space Path Integrals.- 1.11. Semiclassical Propagators in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.12. The Physical Nature and the Measurement of Proper Wave Functions and of Stochastic Position and Momentum.- Notes.- 2 / Relativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.1. The Nonexistence of Relativistic Probability Currents at Sharp Space time Points.- 2.2. The Unfeasibility of Sharp Localization in Relativistic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.3. Phase-Space Representations of the Poincare Group.- 2.4. Resolution Generators and Relativistic Phase-Space Representations.- 2.5. Localizability in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.6. Systems of Covariance in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.7. Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations and Gauge Freedom.- 2.8. Relativistically Covariant and Conserved Probability and Charge Currents.- 2.9. Propagators in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.10. Relativistic Extended Quantum Particles in External Electromagnetic Fields.- Notes.- 3 / Statistical Mechanics on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.1. Phase-Space Representations of Quantum Statistical Mechanics.- 3.2. Informational Equivalence and Completeness of POV Measures.- 3.3. Generalized Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 3.4. Classical and Quantum Mechanics in L2 (?N).- 3.5. Classical and Quantum Statistical Mechanics in Master Liouville Space ?(?N).- 3.6. Quantum Observables as Density Distributions on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.7. Unified Formulations of Classical and Quantum Boltzmann Equations and Scattering Cross-Sections.- Notes.- II: Quantum Spacetime.- 4 / Reciprocity Theory and the Geometrization of Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 4.1. The Operational Foundations of Special and General Relativity.- 4.2. Coordinate Fluctuation Amplitudes for Coherent Flows of Quantum Test Particles.- 4.3. Quantum Lorentz Frames and Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 4.4. General Quantum Spacetimes and Stochastic Geometries.- 4.5. Reciprocity Theory and Born's Quantum Metric Operator.- 4.6. Unitary Internal Symmetries and Generalized Representations of Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations.- Notes.- 5 / Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.1. Free Scalar Fields on Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 5.2. LSZ Formalism and Causality on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.3. Lagrangian Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.4. Dirac Bispinors and Free Fields on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.5. Photon Localizability and the Electromagnetic Field on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.6. Reciprocally Invariant Quantum Electrodynamics for Extended Fermions.- Notes.- Appendix A / Elements of Measure Theory.- Appendix B / Elements of Operator Theory on Hilbert Spaces.- Notes.- References.
The stochastic theory of relativistic quantum mechanics presented here is modelled on the one that has been proposed previously and that was claimed to be a promising substitute to the orthodox theory in the non-relativistic domain. So it also relies heavily upon the theory of stochastic processes, with its definitions, theorems and specific vocabulary as well. Its main hypothesis states indeed that the classical trajectories of the particles are identical to the sample functions of a diffusion Markov process, whose conditional probability density is proposed as a substitute for the wave function. Along the way, we introduce ad hoc hypotheses for the sole reason that they facilitate and even make possible the further development of the theory. These and the so-called Nelson equations are used to determine the drift vectors and the diffusion tensor characteristic of such a process. It is then possible to write down the Fokker-Planck and Kolmogorov equations that can be used to determine the normal and conditional probability densities. This logical sequence of steps leads to the solution of specific problems and we apply it to the special case of the free particle.
We present a group-theoretic reconstruction of quantum mechanics in which the standard formalism emerges from the representation theory of symmetry groups rather than being introduced axiomatically. Starting from physically motivated symmetry principles, we show how the conventional postulates of quantum mechanics including the Hilbert space structure of states, observables as generators of symmetry transformations, the Born probability rule, unitary time evolution, the composition of multipartite systems, and the measurement framework can be recovered within a unified representation-theoretic framework. We then examine the measurement problem by interpreting wave-function collapse as the scattering of quantum states, thereby providing an account of the apparent loss of information. Finally, we investigate the origin of Planck's constant, proposing that it arises as the conserved charge of the Lorentz symmetry group. In this formulation, ℏ\hbarℏ is an invariant that relates Lie algebra generators to observable quantities and fixes the scale of quantum action. This framework offers a conceptually unified perspective on the foundations of quantum mechanics, connecting its postulates, measurement theory, and the emergence of the quantum of action to a common symmetry-based origin while identifying conditions under which the conventional quantum formalism is recovered.
In (1), the notion of a stochastic classical action is introduced and a probability is linked to exp( constant * action). The objective of (1) is not to derive quantum mechanics, but to derive stochastic dynamics based on maximum entropy in action space. We have argued in a number of previous notes (2) that one may use the classical action to create a quantum free particle probability. This classical action, however, is not chosen a priori, but rather arises due to other considerations. We suggest that stochasticity is present in Newtonian mechanics at some time scale because dt is finite in dp/dt= Force (Newton’s second law) and so postulate that force delivery at some x,t is probabilistic within some dt and dx. A priori, dt and dx are not known, but if there is stochasticity, there should be a free particle probability, i.e. a probability(x,t) where x,t represent an x, t interaction point. Furthermore, the notion of dx and dt should arise naturally. We note that the form exp(i function(x,t,p,E) may be introduced because free particles have no distributed variable (like energy in the Maxwell-Boltzmann case). exp(i function(x,t)) immediately introduces periodicity, but we have argued that stochasticity can only exist within tiny, fixed dx, dt linked to dp/dt=F. In particular, one classical Newtonian scales this stochasticity is not seen. The periodicity should be directly in x and t space, suggesting exp( i A1 t + i A2 x). This expression, however, should be Lorentz invariant, and A1 and A2 should be constants, at least for a fixed mo and v. The reason that the one must have periodicity is that the dx and dt ranges of stochasticity in dp/dt=Fr must appear naturally. At this point, one is led to exp(-iEt+ipx) with -Et+px being a Lorentz invariant which satisfies the above criteria. This Lorentz invariant happens to be the classical action in both the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases, hence giving rise to action as being a stochastic variable (of (1)) because it is a function of the two scholastic variables x and t. Alternatively, one may choose the exp(iA1x+iA2t) due to its conservation properties. One may then argue that A1 and A2 could also be conserved for x,t held constant, i.e. A1 and A2 could be linked to Newtonian energy and momentum in elastic collisions. This allows one to solve for the special relativistic g(v) =1/sqrt(1-vv/cc). Given the idea of a conserved quantity form for a probability, one may argue that exp(i Action) satisfies a maximization of Shannon’s entropy subject to a conserved constraint (which is again a link with (1).) The question then becomes: Why should the Lorentz invariant A= -Et+px be the classical action.One may note that x,t usually refer to trajectory values and so for a free particle, one has x=vt. This means that one may factor out t, i.e. A= t( -E+pv), but this is automatically the form of the Lagrangian with E being the Hamiltonian. This holds relativistically and non-relativistically with the form: dL/dv partial = p. The remaining question is: Why should the classical action be Lorentz invariant? We consider E(v)-p(v) v = -L such that dE/dv - v dp/dv -p = -dL/dv partial. This means that dE/dv - v dpd/v = 0 ((1)). A Lorentz transformation, however, changes mo in a rest frame into p=mov/sqrt(1-vv/cc) and E=mocc/sqrt(1-vv/cc). One may see that this solution may be obtained from ((1)) showing a direct link between the classical action approach and special relativity. The connection may be carried further as Lt = -Et+px is a Lorentz invariant, but also the classical action (in both the relativistic and nonrelativistic cases). We argue that the use of the action in (1) as a stochastic variable is directly related to special relativity. In summary, from finite dt in dp/dt=F, t and x are stochastic variables within some naturally appearing dx and dt. One may write a linear combination of x and t and to create a stochastic Lorent invariant variable which should appear in exp(i Lorentz invariant) and create the dx and dt units. It may then be shown that this Lorentz invariant in E,p,x,t should be equivalent to the classical action.