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arXiv:1312.0888

On the emergence of duration from quantum observation and some consequences

Andreas Schlatter

Published Nov 29, 2013• 1 citation
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Abstract

We show that by the act of quantum measurement on a system there emerges a notion of duration and a corresponding time flow which turns out to be the thermal flow connected to the system. We show that, under some quasi-classical assumptions on the observer, this flow shows relevant properties of empirical time and some interesting consequences for Special Relativity are drawn.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1312.0888

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We show that by the act of quantum measurement on a system there emerges a notion of duration and a corresponding time flow which turns out to be the thermal flow connected to the system. We show that, under some quasi-classical assumptions on the observer, this flow shows relevant properties of empirical time and some interesting consequences for Special Relativity are drawn.
Since the beginning of physics, time is the duration of material changes. We measure time with clocks. The notion of time in Newton physics, Einstein’s relativity, and quantum physics are different despite we always measure the same time with the same apparatuses that are clocks. We showed in this article that the act of the measurement done by the observer is generating duration. Time as duration is the result of the interaction between the observer and physical reality via clocks. In the universe, only changes exist. Changes have no duration on their own. Time as duration is born with the measurement done by the observer. Duration is relative and depends on the variable energy density of time-invariant superfluid quantum space that is the carrier of EPR-type entanglement.
Although time is one of our most intuitive physical concepts, its understanding at the fundamental level is still an open question in physics. For instance, time in quantum mechanics and general relativity are two distinct and incompatible entities. While relativity deals with events (points in spacetime), with time being observer dependent and dynamical, quantum mechanics describes physical systems by treating time as an independent parameter. To resolve this conflict, in this work, we extend the classical concept of an event to the quantum domain by defining an event as a transfer of information between physical systems. Then, by describing the universe from the perspective of a certain observer, we introduce quantum states of events with space-time-symmetric wave functions that predict the joint probability distribution of a measurement (observation) at $(t,\stackrel{P\vec}{x})$. Under these circumstances, without assuming collapse, we propose that a well-defined instant of time, like any other observable, arises from a single event, thus being an observer-dependent property. In this manner, we obtain a stationary quantum state written as a sum of a sequence of normalized states of events with increasing memories. As a consequence, a counterfactual asymmetry along this sequence of events gives rise to the flow of time as being successive ``snapshots'' from the observer's perspective. In this proposal, which contrasts strikingly to the view in which time is an illusion, it is the many distinguishable states in which the observer stores information that makes the existence of time possible.
Based on the hypothesis that the thermodynamic arrow of time is an emergent phenomenon of quantum state complexity evolution, we further propose that the natural pace of time flow is proportional to the changing rate of quantum state complexity. we then testify how the pace of time flow changes under both special and general relativity based on the analogy between qubit quantum operations and Lorentz transformations. Our simulation results show a qualitative consistency between our hypothesis and the time dilation effect of relativity. We also checked the relationship between our idea on time with the thermal time hypothesis and we showed that our idea can be regarded as a natural generalization of the thermal time hypothesis.
This paper investigates the emergence of the flow of time, spatial reality, and the dynamics of quantum measurement experienced by a local observer within the framework of a 'Static Relational Structure under Global Zero Constraint (∑Ui=0\sum U_i = 0∑Ui​=0)', as established in the preceding studies of this series (Paper I and II). We define an observer not merely as a subsystem, but as a subgraph with memory capable of recording states and maintaining them irreversibly. This definition allows for the construction of a partial ordering of accessible relations. Consequently, time is not treated as a fundamental physical flow but emerges as the cumulative order of information (correlation entropy) acquired by the observer. Furthermore, 3-dimensional space is shown to be the result of information compression necessary for the efficient processing of complex relational networks. Key contributions of this study include: Reinterpretation of Quantum Measurement: Measurement is defined as a graph merger process via Topological Surgery between the observer and the target graph. Mechanism of Wavefunction Collapse: Collapse is mathematically proven to be a phenomenon of discontinuous Spectral Rearrangement of the Laplacian spectrum, governed by the Cauchy Interlacing Theorem. Derivation of Universal Constraints: We derive five universal constraint conditions that the universe's spectral structure must satisfy for such an observer to exist, including a non-zero spectral gap, quasi-continuity, and a spectral dimension fixed point of ds≈4d_s \approx 4ds​≈4. This work proposes that the observed physical conditions of our universe are not arbitrary but are necessary structural consequences for the existence of an observer within a static global constraint.
I suggest that measurement in quantum theory should be regarded as a sense of time (of things happening), which is as important as the conventional relativistic notion of time. A key question -- of basic physical interest whether one accepts the arguments here or not -- is, What physical criteria determine when a measurement takes place? I suggest a way in which the answer to this may be bound up with the resolution of some pathologies associated with the stress-energy operator, and may at the same time determine the cosmic flow of time. The problem of reconciling the quantum sense of time (measurement) and the conventional relativistic one gives some indication that the the correct "quantization" of gravity is essentially different from that of other fields.