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arXiv:1104.0997 · Mathematical Structures in Computer Science

Toward a fundamental theorem of quantal measure theory

Rafael D. Sorkin

Published Sep 6, 2012• 34 citations
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Abstract

In this paper we address the extension problem for quantal measures of path-integral type, concentrating on two cases: sequential growth of causal sets and a particle moving on the finite lattice ℤn. In both cases, the dynamics can be coded into a vector-valued measure μ on Ω, the space of all histories. Initially, μ is just defined on special subsets of Ω called cylinder events, and we would like to extend it to a larger family of subsets (events) in analogy to the way this is done in the classical theory of stochastic processes. Since quantally μ is generally not of bounded variation, a new method is required. We propose a method that defines the measure of an event by means of a sequence of simpler events that in a suitable sense converges to the event whose measure we are seeking to define. To this end, we introduce canonical sequences approximating certain events, and we propose a measure-based criterion for the convergence of such sequences. Applying the method, we encounter a simple event whose measure is zero classically but non-zero quantally.

DOI
10.1017/s0960129511000545

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In this paper we address the extension problem for quantal measures of path-integral type, concentrating on two cases: sequential growth of causal sets and a particle moving on the finite lattice ℤn. In both cases, the dynamics can be coded into a vector-valued measure μ on Ω, the space of all histories. Initially, μ is just defined on special subsets of Ω called cylinder events, and we would like to extend it to a larger family of subsets (events) in analogy to the way this is done in the classical theory of stochastic processes. Since quantally μ is generally not of bounded variation, a new method is required. We propose a method that defines the measure of an event by means of a sequence of simpler events that in a suitable sense converges to the event whose measure we are seeking to define. To this end, we introduce canonical sequences approximating certain events, and we propose a measure-based criterion for the convergence of such sequences. Applying the method, we encounter a simple event whose measure is zero classically but non-zero quantally.
Abstract The classical sequential growth model for causal sets provides a template for the dynamics in the deep quantum regime. This growth dynamics is intrinsically temporal and causal, with each new element being added to the existing causal set without disturbing its past. In the quantum version, the probability measure on the event algebra is replaced by a quantum measure, which is Hilbert space valued. Because of the temporality of the growth process, in this approach, covariant events (or observables) are measurable only if the quantum measure extends to the associated sigma algebra of events. This is not always guaranteed. In this work we find a criterion for extension (and thence covariance) in complex sequential growth models for causal sets. We find a large family of models in which the measure extends, so that all covariant events/observables are measurable.
When suitably generalized and interpreted, the path-integral offers an al-ternative to the more familiar quantal formalism based on state-vectors, selfadjoint operators, and external observers. Mathematically one general-izes the path-integral-as-propagator to a quantal measure µ on the space Ω of all “conceivable worlds”, and this generalized measure expresses the dy-namics or law of motion of the theory, much as Wiener measure expresses the dynamics of Brownian motion. Within such “histories-based ” schemes new, and more “realistic ” possibilities open up for resolving the philosophi-cal problems of the state-vector formalism. In particular, one can dispense with the need for external agents by locating the predictive content of µ in its sets of measure zero: such sets are to be “precluded”. But unrestricted application of this rule engenders contradictions. One possible response would remove the contradictions by circumscribing the application of the preclusion concept. Another response, more in the tradition of “quantum logic”, would accommodate the contradictions by dualizing Ω to a space of “co-events ” and effectively identifying reality with an element of this dual space. Reading the literature on “quantum foundations”, you could easily get the impression that the problems begin and end with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Perhaps most authors have limited themselves to this special case because they thought that no essentially
When suitably generalized and interpreted, the path-integral offers an alternative to the more familiar quantal formalism based on state-vectors, selfadjoint operators, and external observers. Mathematically one generalizes the path-integral-as-propagator to a {\it quantal measure} μμμ on the space ΩΩΩ of all ``conceivable worlds'', and this generalized measure expresses the dynamics or law of motion of the theory, much as Wiener measure expresses the dynamics of Brownian motion. Within such ``histories-based'' schemes new, and more ``realistic'' possibilities open up for resolving the philosophical problems of the state-vector formalism. In particular, one can dispense with the need for external agents by locating the predictive content of μμμ in its sets of measure zero: such sets are to be ``precluded''. But unrestricted application of this rule engenders contradictions. One possible response would remove the contradictions by circumscribing the application of the preclusion concept. Another response, more in the tradition of ``quantum logic'', would accommodate the contradictions by dualizing ΩΩΩ to a space of ``co-events'' and effectively identifying reality with an element of this dual space.
The Causal Set hypothesis for Quantum Gravity asserts that the smooth Lorentzian spacetime manifold of General Relativity is only an approximation to a fundamental microscopic discrete structure: a locally-finite partially-ordered set. The points of this set are akin to the point-events of the spacetime manifold, and the order-relations among these points are akin to the causal-relations among these point-events. The local-finiteness condition implies a fundamental discreteness and provides an important [conformal] factor needed for the continuum approximations. In this dissertation, we address two aspects toward the formulation of a quantum dynamics for causal sets. The first aspect concerns the dynamics of a zero-mass classical scalar field on a background causal set, Poisson-sampled from an Alexandrov interval in (1 + 1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Our numerical simulations suggest that actions can be defined for such a scalar field, expressed solely in terms of the causal set and the scalar field, which approximates the corresponding classical action on the continuum Minkowski spacetime. This result may help us describe matter and gauge fields in a local and Lorentz-invariant way on a causal set, a discrete structure now being considered as the arena for spacetime physics. More importantly, it may help us formulate an action for the causal set itself, which would be used in a sum-over-histories approach to describe the quantum dynamics of causal sets. The second aspect concerns Quantum Measure Theory, a new approach to quantum dynamics inspired by the sum-over-histories approach, which is better suited to formulating the dynamics of causal sets and of other alternative structures for spacetime. To better understand the mathematical structure underlying this new approach, we derive some algebraic identities involving the sum-rules of the Quantum Measure and its generalizations. We conclude with a discussion on possible applications and open problems concerning these aspects.
We analyze the connection between the path integral and operator approaches to the quantum measurement problem. In general, an act of measurement is shown to destroy interference between components of the wave function related to the particle's histories. Classically, there exist a class of meters suitable for measuring the value of a given dynamical variable F. Quantally, different meters produce different results. The standard von Neumann measurement is one particular case. Rearranging Feynman paths according to the value of (time average of) F defines a different type of meter. The two methods disagree if the duration of the measurement is very short. Possible ways to measure the particle's momentum are studied in detail. The semiclassical limit of a measurement is analyzed.
We point out that a quantum system with a strongly positive quantum measure or decoherence functional gives rise to a vector-valued measure whose domain is the algebra of events or physical questions. This gives an immediate handle on the question of the extension of the decoherence functional to the sigma algebra generated by this algebra of events. It is on the latter that the physical transition amplitudes directly give the decoherence functional. Since the full sigma algebra contains physically interesting questions, like the return question, extending the decoherence functional to these more general questions is important. We show that the decoherence functional, and hence the quantum measure, extends if and only if the associated vector measure does. We give two examples of quantum systems whose decoherence functionals do not extend: one is a unitary system with finitely many states, and the other is a quantum sequential growth model for causal sets. These examples fail to extend in the formal mathematical sense and we speculate on whether the conditions for extension are unphysically strong.