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:1704.04679 · Foundations of Physics

The Present Situation in Quantum Theory and its Merging with General Relativity

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov

Published May 3, 2017• 15 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We discuss the problems of quantum theory (QT) complicating its merging with general relativity (GR). QT is treated as a general theory of micro-phenomena—a bunch of models. Quantum mechanics (QM) and quantum field theory (QFT) are the most widely known (but, e.g., Bohmian mechanics is also a part of QT). The basic problems of QM and QFT are considered in interrelation. For QM, we stress its nonrelativistic character and the presence of spooky action at a distance. For QFT, we highlight the old problem of infinities. And this is the main point of the paper: it is meaningless to try to unify QFT so heavily suffering of infinities with GR. We also highlight difficulties of the QFT-treatment of entanglement. We compare the QFT and QM based measurement theories by presenting both theoretical and experimental viewpoints. Then we discuss two basic mathematical constraints of both QM and QFT, namely, the use of real (and, hence, complex) numbers and the Hilbert state space. We briefly present non-archimedean and non-hilbertian approaches to QT and their consequences. Finally, we claim that, in spite of the Bell theorem, it is still possible to treat quantum phenomena on the basis of a classical-like causal theory. We present a random field model generating the QM and QFT formalisms. This emergence viewpoint can serve as the basis for unification of novel QT (may be totally different from presently powerful QM and QFT) and GR. (It may happen that the latter would also be revolutionary modified.)

DOI
10.1007/s10701-017-0089-0

Related papers

On the Need for a Certain Physicality from Quantum Theory

Devin Hardy

Many attempts have been made at the unification of General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Theory (QT), but there is a fundamental error made with these attempts, as we will discuss. What is the point of such theories? Well, obviously to describe the physical world we live in. QT describes what happens on the tiny scale, and GR describes what happens to bodies on a large scale. The fundamental error in unifying the two subjects is that QT doesn’t provide the physical happenings for GR to work, or in other words, QT describes why the world is the way it is, but not how, and this does not philosophically suffice in GR. Must we simply give up, in that the subjects are two different entities? I think the answer is that we mustn't. I think that we should put one theory in terms of the basic mechanics of the other, perhaps by simplifying, or perhaps by taking the physical reality to be our guide. Do I believe QT describes the world? Accurately. Do I believe that QT is the physical truth? Of course not… it is simply a mathematical construct to provide a model that allows for us to predict future outcomes. I will begin very simplistic, but the goal for the first part of the paper is to Classically describe the physical mechanics of QT. I will stick with particles in their ground state, and hence no translational motion.

JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN PHYSICS•Mar 29, 2017•0 citations

Without a Path: Why Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Imply Each Other Without Mediation

Timothy Speed

The persistent incompatibility between quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) is commonly treated in physics as a technical or mathematical problem. Either a deeper dynamics is sought that connects both theories, or a formal meta-theory that unifies their concepts.This paper proposes a different reading. It claims neither a unification nor a correction of the existing theories. Instead, it shows that the contradiction between QM and GR is not a deficit of the theories themselves, but the consequence of an unspoken ontological omission: the lack of a determination of the transition from possibility to facticity.At the center stands the thesis that quantum mechanics and relativity mutually imply one another without being connected by a process, a path, or a shared dynamics. The transition between openness and stability is not a physical event within the world, but a shift in the conditions under which a world can occur at all.Using the terms indimergence and shift of being (Seinsverschiebung), this transition is specified as a boundary structure: indimergence designates the non-dynamical coercion toward objectivity, while shift of being denotes the irreversible change of the conditions of further world-formation. From this perspective, it becomes intelligible why the conflict between QM and GR cannot be “solved” — and why precisely therein lies its ontological significance.

•Jan 26, 2026•1 citation

Quantum mechanics and modeling of physical reality

Marian Kupczyński

Abstract Quantum mechanics (QM) has led to spectacular technological developments, including the discovery of new constituents of matter and new materials: however, there is still no consensus regarding its interpretation and limitations. Some scientists and scientific writers promote some exotic interpretations and evoke quantum magic. In this paper we point out that magical explanations mean the end of the science. Magical explanations are misleading and counterproductive. We explain how a simple probabilistic local causal model is able to reproduce quantum correlations in Bell tests. We also discuss the difficulties of mathematical modeling of the physical reality and dangers of incorrect mental images. We examine in detail when and how a probabilistic model may completely describe a random experiment. We give some arguments in favor of the contextual statistical interpretation of QM. We conclude that we still do not know whether quantum theory provides a complete description of physical phenomena and we explain how it may be tested. We also point out, that there remain several open questions and challenges in QM, in quantum field theory and in the Standard Model. Moreover, there is still no consensus about how to reconcile quantum theory with general relativity and cosmology.

arXiv:1804.02288•Physica Scripta•Sep 18, 2018•18 citations

Is the Basic Structure of the Universe Simple?

Martin Tamm

Can our extremely complicated world be explained, starting from simple conditions and laws? Such questions easily become metaphysical, but at the same time they have historically served science well by promoting new and fruitful ideas. Of particular interest in this paper is the unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics. It is suggested that a way to find a common basis for these theories could be to view them both as stochastic theories which, among all possible macroscopic developments, promote the simplest ones. But with the difference that general relativity uses real probabilities, whereas quantum mechanics uses complex weights. In a certain sense this approach goes back to the Principle of Least Action, although the perspective on this principle in the present paper is different from the one which is commonly used in contemporary physics. It is also suggested that a more general principle, which applies to both theories and which is beyond both stationarity and minimizing, could give us a better starting point for the unification.

Axioms•Dec 14, 2025•0 citations

In Memory of the Great Genius. 125 Years Later We Discover: Einstein Left Unification in Special Relativity.

Jonatan P. camargo

Modern Physics rests on two pillars: General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Mechanics (QM). The former describes gravitation as the continuous geometry of spacetime, based on differential fields. The latter, in turn, operates in a discretized regime, where energy levels, frequencies, and experimental results arise in quantized packets. The tension between both arises because GR assumes absolute continuity of time and space, while QM presents intrinsically discrete phenomena. Historically, the search for a unified theory started from the assumption that one of the two formulations must be modified — either GR should be discretized, or QM should emerge from an underlying continuous theory. In this work, we argue that the conflict is not fundamental: it stems from the traditional interpretation of time in Special Relativity (SR). When analyzed correctly, the proper time of distinct observers does not evolve synchronously, and this produces beating and discretization effects that explain, without additional postulates, many behaviors labeled as "quantum."

•Dec 4, 2025•0 citations

Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity are compatible, and have a common origin: the expanding (hyper) balloon universe

Subhajit Waugh

Please download the paper and then read the abstract (since crucial formulas are not appearing in this window, and also hyperlinks are not working). This is just a brief overview: Relativity is inside the light cone phenomena, while Quantum Mechanics is outside the light cone phenomena, dictated just by the scale (i.e. whether we use classical/human scale or sub-atomic scale). This recent paper [ ‘ Quantum principle of relativity’; Andrzej Dragan, Artur Ekert, New. J. Phys. 22 (2020) 033098] has shown that every exotic Quantum effect like superposition, entanglement, probabilistic behavior, multiple paths etc. can be explained just by allowing super-luminal possibility. The 'inside the light cone' phenomena, and the 'outside the light cone' phenomena together span the entire region within the space and time axes. Only in unison they complete the entire picture. We failed to realize that the same spacetime is getting split into 'space like' and 'time like’ regions based on scale. And the reason behind this is not the magical ( ? ) speed of light. That would have turned both relativity and quantum mechanics into mere branches of electromagnetism. The true reason is much deeper and at a very fundamental level of our universe. It turns out that the c is the radial expansion velocity of our universe. But why does the transition from Relativity to Quantum Mechanics happens with decreasing size scale? That’s because, this is what is happens to spatial and temporal dimensions at different scales: 3+1 (Classical regime) <=> 2+2 (Compton regime) <=> 1+3 (Planck regime). Just as space and time exchange roles at the event horizon of a Black Hole, similarly, spatial and temporal dimensions switch roles for extremely small scales (although due to a completely different mechanism). Why this happens is difficult to expalin without the true model of our universe. But, once explained, it becomes "Why didn't I think about it before? I was plain silly!" From the center of universe viewpoint, simultaneity is absolute (as demanded by Sagnac effect), and there is indeed absolute universal time (as demanded by quantum mechanics). From our viewpoint (located at an awkward position in the universe), locality is absolute, and velocity c is the upper limit, and remains constant for every observer. This turns (our) space and time into inseparable twins, and makes (our) time a relative concept. This solves the time problem which had so stubbornly resisted the reconciliation of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity are like two sides of the same coin. But understanding the relation between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity is a bit tricky, because according to General Relativity, gravity is the warping/curvature of the 4 dimensional spacetime itself. At first sight, Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity seem to be utterly incompatible! But actually, Special Relativity’s big brother General Relativity only complicates things a bit, but does not become inconsistent with Quantum Mechanics altogether. The only difference between the warped spacetime of General Relativity, and the flat spacetime of Special Relativity is very similar to the difference between a stretched rubber membrane, with and without a metal ball placed on it. This paper does not sacrifice any of the spectacular success of General Relativity and also does not compromise with any of the stunningly accurate predictions of Quantum Mechanics. And yet, this paper harmoniously brings Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity together. Just bear in mind that Nature simply cannot afford to make our two greatest theories incompatible. After all, both General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics were based on what nature was actually telling us, and nature herself would be accountable for any genuine contradiction (but not for the breakdown of our physics due to our misunderstanding!). And, by the way, this paper solves some of the most pressing problems in both Physics & Cosmology. The 'Principle of Least Action' which comes closest to a 'Theory of Everything' arises as a direct consequence of better SpaceTime theory proposed in this paper. Also, we can see why the symmetries of nature (which gives rise to the crucial conservation principles in Physics according to the Noether's theorems) arises in the first place. Gentle reminder: Please download the paper and then read the abstract.

•Sep 28, 2022•0 citations
We discuss the problems of quantum theory (QT) complicating its merging with general relativity (GR). QT is treated as a general theory of micro-phenomena—a bunch of models. Quantum mechanics (QM) and quantum field theory (QFT) are the most widely known (but, e.g., Bohmian mechanics is also a part of QT). The basic problems of QM and QFT are considered in interrelation. For QM, we stress its nonrelativistic character and the presence of spooky action at a distance. For QFT, we highlight the old problem of infinities. And this is the main point of the paper: it is meaningless to try to unify QFT so heavily suffering of infinities with GR. We also highlight difficulties of the QFT-treatment of entanglement. We compare the QFT and QM based measurement theories by presenting both theoretical and experimental viewpoints. Then we discuss two basic mathematical constraints of both QM and QFT, namely, the use of real (and, hence, complex) numbers and the Hilbert state space. We briefly present non-archimedean and non-hilbertian approaches to QT and their consequences. Finally, we claim that, in spite of the Bell theorem, it is still possible to treat quantum phenomena on the basis of a classical-like causal theory. We present a random field model generating the QM and QFT formalisms. This emergence viewpoint can serve as the basis for unification of novel QT (may be totally different from presently powerful QM and QFT) and GR. (It may happen that the latter would also be revolutionary modified.)
Many attempts have been made at the unification of General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Theory (QT), but there is a fundamental error made with these attempts, as we will discuss. What is the point of such theories? Well, obviously to describe the physical world we live in. QT describes what happens on the tiny scale, and GR describes what happens to bodies on a large scale. The fundamental error in unifying the two subjects is that QT doesn’t provide the physical happenings for GR to work, or in other words, QT describes why the world is the way it is, but not how, and this does not philosophically suffice in GR. Must we simply give up, in that the subjects are two different entities? I think the answer is that we mustn't. I think that we should put one theory in terms of the basic mechanics of the other, perhaps by simplifying, or perhaps by taking the physical reality to be our guide. Do I believe QT describes the world? Accurately. Do I believe that QT is the physical truth? Of course not… it is simply a mathematical construct to provide a model that allows for us to predict future outcomes. I will begin very simplistic, but the goal for the first part of the paper is to Classically describe the physical mechanics of QT. I will stick with particles in their ground state, and hence no translational motion.
The persistent incompatibility between quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) is commonly treated in physics as a technical or mathematical problem. Either a deeper dynamics is sought that connects both theories, or a formal meta-theory that unifies their concepts.This paper proposes a different reading. It claims neither a unification nor a correction of the existing theories. Instead, it shows that the contradiction between QM and GR is not a deficit of the theories themselves, but the consequence of an unspoken ontological omission: the lack of a determination of the transition from possibility to facticity.At the center stands the thesis that quantum mechanics and relativity mutually imply one another without being connected by a process, a path, or a shared dynamics. The transition between openness and stability is not a physical event within the world, but a shift in the conditions under which a world can occur at all.Using the terms indimergence and shift of being (Seinsverschiebung), this transition is specified as a boundary structure: indimergence designates the non-dynamical coercion toward objectivity, while shift of being denotes the irreversible change of the conditions of further world-formation. From this perspective, it becomes intelligible why the conflict between QM and GR cannot be “solved” — and why precisely therein lies its ontological significance.
Abstract Quantum mechanics (QM) has led to spectacular technological developments, including the discovery of new constituents of matter and new materials: however, there is still no consensus regarding its interpretation and limitations. Some scientists and scientific writers promote some exotic interpretations and evoke quantum magic. In this paper we point out that magical explanations mean the end of the science. Magical explanations are misleading and counterproductive. We explain how a simple probabilistic local causal model is able to reproduce quantum correlations in Bell tests. We also discuss the difficulties of mathematical modeling of the physical reality and dangers of incorrect mental images. We examine in detail when and how a probabilistic model may completely describe a random experiment. We give some arguments in favor of the contextual statistical interpretation of QM. We conclude that we still do not know whether quantum theory provides a complete description of physical phenomena and we explain how it may be tested. We also point out, that there remain several open questions and challenges in QM, in quantum field theory and in the Standard Model. Moreover, there is still no consensus about how to reconcile quantum theory with general relativity and cosmology.
Can our extremely complicated world be explained, starting from simple conditions and laws? Such questions easily become metaphysical, but at the same time they have historically served science well by promoting new and fruitful ideas. Of particular interest in this paper is the unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics. It is suggested that a way to find a common basis for these theories could be to view them both as stochastic theories which, among all possible macroscopic developments, promote the simplest ones. But with the difference that general relativity uses real probabilities, whereas quantum mechanics uses complex weights. In a certain sense this approach goes back to the Principle of Least Action, although the perspective on this principle in the present paper is different from the one which is commonly used in contemporary physics. It is also suggested that a more general principle, which applies to both theories and which is beyond both stationarity and minimizing, could give us a better starting point for the unification.
Modern Physics rests on two pillars: General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Mechanics (QM). The former describes gravitation as the continuous geometry of spacetime, based on differential fields. The latter, in turn, operates in a discretized regime, where energy levels, frequencies, and experimental results arise in quantized packets. The tension between both arises because GR assumes absolute continuity of time and space, while QM presents intrinsically discrete phenomena. Historically, the search for a unified theory started from the assumption that one of the two formulations must be modified — either GR should be discretized, or QM should emerge from an underlying continuous theory. In this work, we argue that the conflict is not fundamental: it stems from the traditional interpretation of time in Special Relativity (SR). When analyzed correctly, the proper time of distinct observers does not evolve synchronously, and this produces beating and discretization effects that explain, without additional postulates, many behaviors labeled as "quantum."
Please download the paper and then read the abstract (since crucial formulas are not appearing in this window, and also hyperlinks are not working). This is just a brief overview: Relativity is inside the light cone phenomena, while Quantum Mechanics is outside the light cone phenomena, dictated just by the scale (i.e. whether we use classical/human scale or sub-atomic scale). This recent paper [ ‘ Quantum principle of relativity’; Andrzej Dragan, Artur Ekert, New. J. Phys. 22 (2020) 033098] has shown that every exotic Quantum effect like superposition, entanglement, probabilistic behavior, multiple paths etc. can be explained just by allowing super-luminal possibility. The 'inside the light cone' phenomena, and the 'outside the light cone' phenomena together span the entire region within the space and time axes. Only in unison they complete the entire picture. We failed to realize that the same spacetime is getting split into 'space like' and 'time like’ regions based on scale. And the reason behind this is not the magical ( ? ) speed of light. That would have turned both relativity and quantum mechanics into mere branches of electromagnetism. The true reason is much deeper and at a very fundamental level of our universe. It turns out that the c is the radial expansion velocity of our universe. But why does the transition from Relativity to Quantum Mechanics happens with decreasing size scale? That’s because, this is what is happens to spatial and temporal dimensions at different scales: 3+1 (Classical regime) <=> 2+2 (Compton regime) <=> 1+3 (Planck regime). Just as space and time exchange roles at the event horizon of a Black Hole, similarly, spatial and temporal dimensions switch roles for extremely small scales (although due to a completely different mechanism). Why this happens is difficult to expalin without the true model of our universe. But, once explained, it becomes "Why didn't I think about it before? I was plain silly!" From the center of universe viewpoint, simultaneity is absolute (as demanded by Sagnac effect), and there is indeed absolute universal time (as demanded by quantum mechanics). From our viewpoint (located at an awkward position in the universe), locality is absolute, and velocity c is the upper limit, and remains constant for every observer. This turns (our) space and time into inseparable twins, and makes (our) time a relative concept. This solves the time problem which had so stubbornly resisted the reconciliation of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity are like two sides of the same coin. But understanding the relation between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity is a bit tricky, because according to General Relativity, gravity is the warping/curvature of the 4 dimensional spacetime itself. At first sight, Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity seem to be utterly incompatible! But actually, Special Relativity’s big brother General Relativity only complicates things a bit, but does not become inconsistent with Quantum Mechanics altogether. The only difference between the warped spacetime of General Relativity, and the flat spacetime of Special Relativity is very similar to the difference between a stretched rubber membrane, with and without a metal ball placed on it. This paper does not sacrifice any of the spectacular success of General Relativity and also does not compromise with any of the stunningly accurate predictions of Quantum Mechanics. And yet, this paper harmoniously brings Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity together. Just bear in mind that Nature simply cannot afford to make our two greatest theories incompatible. After all, both General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics were based on what nature was actually telling us, and nature herself would be accountable for any genuine contradiction (but not for the breakdown of our physics due to our misunderstanding!). And, by the way, this paper solves some of the most pressing problems in both Physics & Cosmology. The 'Principle of Least Action' which comes closest to a 'Theory of Everything' arises as a direct consequence of better SpaceTime theory proposed in this paper. Also, we can see why the symmetries of nature (which gives rise to the crucial conservation principles in Physics according to the Noether's theorems) arises in the first place. Gentle reminder: Please download the paper and then read the abstract.