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arXiv:2202.09261

Is the relativistic Structure of Spacetime Ontic or Epistemic?

Edward J. Gillis

Published Feb 16, 2022• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

As repeatedly emphasized by Einstein our knowledge of the structure of space and time is based entirely on inferences from observations of physical objects and processes. At the most fundamental level these objects and processes are described by quantum theory. However, the ontological status of the theoretical entities employed by quantum theory is a matter of considerable debate. Furthermore, the nonlocal correlations identified by Bell cannot readily be explained within the standard relativistic framework. This suggests that we should re-examine our understanding of spacetime.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2202.09261

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As repeatedly emphasized by Einstein our knowledge of the structure of space and time is based entirely on inferences from observations of physical objects and processes. At the most fundamental level these objects and processes are described by quantum theory. However, the ontological status of the theoretical entities employed by quantum theory is a matter of considerable debate. Furthermore, the nonlocal correlations identified by Bell cannot readily be explained within the standard relativistic framework. This suggests that we should re-examine our understanding of spacetime.
Quantum measurement predictions are consistent with relativity for macroscopic observations, but there is no consensus on how to explain this consistency in fundamental terms. The prevailing assumption is that the relativistic structure of spacetime should provide the framework for any microphysical account. This bias is due, in large part, to our intuitions about local causality, the idea that all physical processes propagate through space in a continuous manner. I argue that relativity is not a guarantor of local causality, and is not about ontological features of spacetime. It is, rather, an expression of the observational equivalence of spacetime descriptions of physical processes. This observational equivalence is due to the essentially probabilistic nature of quantum theory.
Abstract Ontic structuralism or ontic structural realism in the philosophy of physics can be broadly considered as an interpretative strategy providing a set of conceptual and metaphysical tools—or, more ambitiously, an ontological framework—in order to account for central features of current fundamental physics. This article aims to review the main structuralist interpretative moves in the context of our two best fundamental physical theories of matter and spacetime, namely, quantum theory (quantum mechanics and quantum field theory) and general relativity. We highlight in particular the structuralist understanding of permutation invariance, entanglement and nonlocality in quantum theory, and of the dynamical features of spacetime, (gauge‐theoretic) diffeomorphism invariance and background independence in general relativity.
Abstract Quantum mechanics and relativity are two of the most successful theoretical frameworks in modern physics, yet their conceptual foundations remain difficult to reconcile at the deepest level. Quantum theory describes physical systems through states, observables, probabilities, measurement contexts, superposition, entanglement, and nonclassical correlations. Relativity describes physical processes through space-time structure, causal order, invariant physical law, observer-dependent decomposition of time and space, and constraints on signal propagation. This article examines the conceptual relationship between quantum measurement, relativistic causality, and space-time description. The purpose is not to present a mathematical unification but to analyze how the two frameworks organize physical explanation differently and where their interpretive tensions arise. Special attention is given to the measurement problem, the status of quantum states, the role of observers and reference frames, the meaning of locality, the distinction between correlation and causal influence, and the challenge of describing quantum processes without privileging a single global time. The article argues that many apparent conflicts between quantum theory and relativity result from importing classical intuitions into domains where they no longer apply. Quantum entanglement does not permit controllable faster-than-light communication, yet it challenges classical separability. Relativity forbids superluminal signaling, yet it does not require that all physically meaningful correlations be reducible to local classical properties. Measurement introduces another difficulty because standard quantum theory often describes state update in a way that appears instantaneous, while relativistic space-time does not provide a universal present. The discussion develops a conceptual framework in which quantum measurement is treated as a physical interaction, relativistic causality as a constraint on operational influence, and space-time description as an organizing structure for events rather than a simple background stage. This analysis is relevant for quantum field theory, quantum information, relativistic quantum foundations, and future approaches to quantum gravity.
This study proposes a conceptual framework in which time and space are derived from quantum state transitions rather than being treated as fundamental background entities. Temporal progression is interpreted as the ordered sequence of discrete quantum state changes, while spatial structure emerges from relational properties among quantum states.Within this framework, time is defined operationally as the measurable rate of quantum state evolution, and space arises from correlations and structural relations between quantum systems. The approach suggests that spacetime may be understood as an emergent construct grounded in quantum dynamics rather than as a primary ontological structure.The implications of this interpretation are discussed in relation to general relativity and quantum mechanics, with attention to cosmological considerations and foundational questions in theoretical physics.
Modern quantum information theory deals with an idealized situation when the spacetime dependence of quantum phenomena is neglected. However the transmission and processing of (quantum) information is a physical process in spacetime. Therefore such basic notions in quantum information theory as qubit, channel, composite systems and entangled states should be formulated in space and time. In particlular we suggest that instead of a two level system (qubit) the basic notion in a relativistic quantum information theory should be a notion of an elementary quantum system, i.e. an infinite dimensional Hilbert space HHH invariant under an irreducible representation of the Poincare group labeled by [m,s][m,s][m,s] where m≥0m\geq 0m≥0 is mass and s=0,1/2,1,...s=0,1/2,1,...s=0,1/2,1,... is spin. We emphasize an importance of consideration of quantum information theory from the point of view of quantum field theory. We point out and discuss a fundamental fact that in quantum field theory there is a statistical dependence between two regions in spacetime even if they are spacelike separated. A classical probabilistic representation for a family of correlation functions in quantum field theory is obtained. Entangled states in space and time are considered. It is shown that any reasonable state in relativistic quantum field theory becomes disentangled (factorizable) at large spacelike distances if one makes local observations. As a result a violation of Bell`s inequalities can be observed without inconsistency with principles of relativistic quantum theory only if the distance between detectors is rather small. We suggest a further experimental study of entangled states in spacetime by studying the dependence of the correlation functions on the distance between detectors.