A new dynamical paradigm merging quantum dynamics with cosmology is discussed. We distinguish between a universe and its background space-time. The universe here is the subset of space-time defined by Ψτ(x)≠0, where Ψτ(x) is a solution of a Schrödinger equation, x is a point in n-dimensional Minkowski space, and τ≥0 is a dimensionless ‘cosmic-time’ evolution parameter. We derive the form of the Schrödinger equation and show that an empty universe is described by a Ψτ(x) that propagates towards the future inside some future-cone V+. The resulting dynamical semigroup is unitary, i.e., ∫V+d4x|Ψτ(x)|2=1 for τ≥0. The initial condition Ψ0(x) is not localized at x=0. Rather, it satisfies the boundary condition Ψ0(x)=0 for x∉V+. For n=1+3 the support of Ψτ(x) is bounded from the past by the ‘gap hyperboloid’ ℓ2τ=c2t2−x2, where ℓ is a fundamental length. Consequently, the points located between the hyperboloid and the light cone c2t2−x2=0 satisfy Ψτ(x)=0, and thus do not belong to the universe. As τ grows, the gap between the support of Ψτ(x) and the light cone increases. The past thus literally disappears. Unitarity of the dynamical semigroup implies that the universe becomes localized in a finite-thickness future-neighbourhood of ℓ2τ=c2t2−x2, simultaneously spreading along the hyperboloid. Effectively, for large τ the subset occupied by the universe resembles a part of the gap hyperboloid itself, but its thickness Δτ is non-zero for finite τ. Finite Δτ implies that the three-dimensional volume of the universe is finite as well. An approximate radius of the universe, rτ, grows with τ due to Δτrτ3=Δ0r03 and Δτ→0. The propagation of Ψτ(x) through space-time matches an intuitive picture of the passage of time. What we regard as the Minkowski-space classical time can be identified with ctτ=∫d4xx0|Ψτ(x)|2, so tτ grows with τ as a consequence of the Ehrenfest theorem, and its present uncertainty can be identified with the Planck time. Assuming that at present values of τ (corresponding to 13–14 billion years) Δτ and rτ are of the order of the Planck length and the Hubble radius, we estimate that the analogous thickness Δ0 of the support of Ψ0(x) is of the order of 1 AU, and r03∼(ctH)3×10−44. The estimates imply that the initial volume of the universe was finite and its uncertainty in time was several minutes. Next, we generalize the formalism in a way that incorporates interactions with matter. We are guided by the correspondence principle with quantum mechanics, which should be asymptotically reconstructed for the present values of τ. We argue that Hamiltonians corresponding to the present values of τ approximately describe quantum mechanics in a conformally Minkowskian space-time. The conformal factor is directly related to |Ψτ(x)|2. As a by-product of the construction, we arrive at a new formulation of conformal invariance of m≠0 fields.
A new dynamical paradigm merging quantum dynamics with cosmology is discussed. We distinguish between a universe and its background space-time. The universe here is the subset of space-time defined by Ψτ(x)≠0, where Ψτ(x) is a solution of a Schrödinger equation, x is a point in n-dimensional Minkowski space, and τ≥0 is a dimensionless ‘cosmic-time’ evolution parameter. We derive the form of the Schrödinger equation and show that an empty universe is described by a Ψτ(x) that propagates towards the future inside some future-cone V+. The resulting dynamical semigroup is unitary, i.e., ∫V+d4x|Ψτ(x)|2=1 for τ≥0. The initial condition Ψ0(x) is not localized at x=0. Rather, it satisfies the boundary condition Ψ0(x)=0 for x∉V+. For n=1+3 the support of Ψτ(x) is bounded from the past by the ‘gap hyperboloid’ ℓ2τ=c2t2−x2, where ℓ is a fundamental length. Consequently, the points located between the hyperboloid and the light cone c2t2−x2=0 satisfy Ψτ(x)=0, and thus do not belong to the universe. As τ grows, the gap between the support of Ψτ(x) and the light cone increases. The past thus literally disappears. Unitarity of the dynamical semigroup implies that the universe becomes localized in a finite-thickness future-neighbourhood of ℓ2τ=c2t2−x2, simultaneously spreading along the hyperboloid. Effectively, for large τ the subset occupied by the universe resembles a part of the gap hyperboloid itself, but its thickness Δτ is non-zero for finite τ. Finite Δτ implies that the three-dimensional volume of the universe is finite as well. An approximate radius of the universe, rτ, grows with τ due to Δτrτ3=Δ0r03 and Δτ→0. The propagation of Ψτ(x) through space-time matches an intuitive picture of the passage of time. What we regard as the Minkowski-space classical time can be identified with ctτ=∫d4xx0|Ψτ(x)|2, so tτ grows with τ as a consequence of the Ehrenfest theorem, and its present uncertainty can be identified with the Planck time. Assuming that at present values of τ (corresponding to 13–14 billion years) Δτ and rτ are of the order of the Planck length and the Hubble radius, we estimate that the analogous thickness Δ0 of the support of Ψ0(x) is of the order of 1 AU, and r03∼(ctH)3×10−44. The estimates imply that the initial volume of the universe was finite and its uncertainty in time was several minutes. Next, we generalize the formalism in a way that incorporates interactions with matter. We are guided by the correspondence principle with quantum mechanics, which should be asymptotically reconstructed for the present values of τ. We argue that Hamiltonians corresponding to the present values of τ approximately describe quantum mechanics in a conformally Minkowskian space-time. The conformal factor is directly related to |Ψτ(x)|2. As a by-product of the construction, we arrive at a new formulation of conformal invariance of m≠0 fields.
One of the problems of quantum cosmology follows from the fact that the Hamiltonian H of classical general relativity equals zero. Quantizing canonically in the Schrodinger picture, the Schrodinger equation for the wave function Ψ of the universe is therefore the so-called Wheeler-DeWitt equation (where Ĥ is the operator version of H) and we have no quantum dynamics. In particular, it follows directly that, if Ȓ is the operator representing the radius of the universe, where <Ȓ>ψ = Ψ<|Ȓ|>Ψ, for every Ψ. The universe described by (1) does not expand. But worse still is the fact that there is no time development, contrary to our experience. Like a particle in an eigenstate of zero energy, the state of the universe does not change. The still universe resulting from (1) is a manifestation of the more general “problem of time” afflicting canonical quantum gravity. Despite rare claims to the contrary, most consider it to be a serious difficulty for quantum cosmology.
Standard quantum mechanics requires six independent axioms of the Copenhagen interpretation, all formulated in a non-relativistic framework lacking Lorentz invariance and thus fundamentally inconsistent with Minkowski spacetime. This paper argues that the measurement problem, wave-function collapse, Schrödinger's cat, and the non-locality of entanglement share a common root: non-relativistic quantum mechanics is an approximation of a more fundamental theory, and interpretations built upon an approximation cannot be fully correct. We propose Spacetime Wave Quantum Theory (SWQ theory), which takes Minkowski spacetime as its sole geometric premise and proceeds from two axioms: Axiom 1 (Quantum nature): A quantum exists in spacetime with finite extent and behaves as a wave whose action changes only in discrete multiples of h. Axiom 2 (Superposition principle): Superposition on multiple paths holds if and only if no difference arises in the state of external quanta between those paths — a purely physical condition with no role for observer consciousness. From these two axioms, the Klein–Gordon and Dirac equations are derived directly, with the Schrödinger equation recovered as their non-relativistic limit. The six Copenhagen axioms are replaced by two. Central concept — the Spacetime Action Packet (SAP): Every quantum occupies a finite four-dimensional spacetime region. For energy E, the temporal thickness satisfies Δt ≳ h/E. The SAP has a minimum size but no upper bound; quantum interactions are described as overlap integrals over the spacetime volume where two SAPs coincide. A key consequence is that different quanta — including three quarks inside a nucleon and neutrinos traversing the Earth — can occupy the same spacetime region without restriction; the Pauli exclusion principle applies only to identical fermions in identical states. Principal results of v2.0: Wave-function collapse is dissolved as the physical end and beginning of a quantum wave (wave-terminating interaction); the projection postulate is unnecessary. Feynman spacetime integration and virtual particles acquire a natural physical basis; finite SAP size provides an intrinsic UV cutoff without renormalization. Zero-point energy (ħω/2) is diagnosed as an artifact of operator ordering in quantization — not a physical entity — rendering the cosmological constant problem a structural consequence of summing a quantity that was never real. A first-order extension to a-ECG curved spacetime shows that gravitational redshift, gravitational mass deficit, and the increase in SAP temporal thickness all scale as √A(r), unifying classical and quantum descriptions of energy conservation under gravity. These results are supported by quantitative tests obtained without renormalization: the electron anomalous magnetic moment ae = α/2π (1-loop) and 2-loop coefficient C4 to 0.0015%; the Compton cross-section to within 0.07% of the Klein–Nishina formula; and nucleon magnetic moments to ∼1.5%. Details appear in the series papers on the Rotating Spinor Wave (RSW) model. Series context: SWQ theory forms the foundational framework for the RSW model (unified description of fermion spin, g-factors, and hadron mass spectra) and the Energy-Conserving Gravity theory (a-ECG, a modification of general relativity incorporating full energy-momentum conservation). These three papers constitute an interconnected series. Note: Generative AI tools (Claude Sonnet 4.6, Anthropic; Grok, xAI) were used for drafting and language checking. All scientific content and responsibility rest solely with the author.
An operational approach to quantum mechanics has been developed in the past decades in our group in Brussels. A similar approach is taken in this work, making use of the extra operational depth offered by this approach, to show that the construction of spacetime is specific to each observer. What is usually referred to as the block universe then emerges by noting that parts of the past and future are also contained in the present, but without the limitations that a four-dimensional block universe usually implies, of a reality in which change would be impossible. In our operational approach, reality remains dynamic, with free choice playing a central role in its conceptualization. We also show that, when operationally analyzed, the theory implies that objects move not only in space, but also and especially in time, and more generally in spacetime, with their rest mass being a measure of their kinetic time energy. We therefore claim that Einstein’s relativity revolution has not been fully realized, since most physicists are not ready to accept these consequences of the theory although the formula’s showing them, when operationally analyzed, are in every relativity textbook. In particular, when relativistic motion is revisited as a genuine four-dimensional motion, it becomes possible to reinterpret the parameter c associated with the coordinate speed of light, which becomes the magnitude of the four-velocity of all material entities. We observe that this four-dimensional motion in Minkowski space can also be better understood if placed in the broader perspective of quantum mechanics, provided that non-locality is interpreted as non-spatiality, thus indicating the existence of an underlying non-spatial reality, the nature of which could be conceptual, consistent with the conceptuality interpretation of quantum mechanics. This hypothesis is reinforced by noting that when observers, or experiencers, as they will be referred to in this article, are described by acknowledging their cognitive nature of entities moving in a semantic space, Minkowski metric emerges in a natural way.
This work addresses the long-standing frozen formalism problem in the quantization of reparametrization-invariant systems. In Dirac quantization, physical states are defined by a quantum constraint of the form Ĉ Ψ = 0, a condition often interpreted as implying the absence of dynamics. This paper demonstrates that such an interpretation is structural rather than physical. For finite-dimensional constrained Hamiltonian systems, the paper introduces the concept of a renewal ordering: an intrinsic, locally monotonic ordering of distinguishable internal configurations constructed from relational observables. When the quantum constraint is expressed in variables adapted to this ordering, the condition Ĉ Ψ = 0 is shown to imply, under explicit and minimal assumptions, a Schrödinger-type evolution equation with respect to the renewal parameter. The analysis is purely operator-theoretic and local in character. It covers constraint operators that are either first order or quadratic with hyperbolic principal part in the renewal-direction derivative. No external time variable, physical Hamiltonian, reference fluid, or auxiliary clock system is introduced. No physical Hilbert space, inner product, or probabilistic interpretation is assumed or constructed. The central result establishes that the frozen formalism does not represent physical stasis. Instead, whenever a reparametrization-invariant quantum system admits a locally monotonic relational ordering, internal relational evolution is already encoded in the constraint equation itself and becomes explicit when expressed in renewal variables. The scope of the paper is deliberately restricted. It applies only to finite-dimensional constrained systems and makes no claims regarding global unitarity, factor-ordering uniqueness, gravitational field theories, cosmology, or the Wheeler–DeWitt operator. Within this domain, the results are exact and structural.
On the basis that the universe is a closed quantum system with no external observers, we propose a paradigm in which the universe jumps through a series of stages. Each stage is defined by a quantum state, an information content, and rules governing temporal evolution. Only some of these rules are currently understood; we can calculate answers to quantum questions, but we do not know why those questions have been asked in the first place. In this paradigm, time is synonymous with the quantum process of information extraction, rather than a label associated with a temporal dimension. We discuss the implications for cosmology.
In the framework of Unified Time Scale, Matrix Universe THE\text{-MATRIX}, and Quantum Discrete Cellular Automaton Universe U_{qca}, we construct a systematic theory for Quantum Chaos and the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH). The Unified Time Scale Mother Formula equation \kappa(\omega) =\varphi'(\omega)/\pi =\rho_{rel}(\omega) =(2\pi)^{-1}trQ(\omega) equation unifies the scattering semi-phase derivative, relative density of states, and Wigner--Smith group delay trace into a single time scale density, thereby providing a "Universe Time Mother Ruler" in the Matrix Universe U_{mat} independent of specific Hamiltonian choices. The Universe as a QCA object equation U_{qca}=(\Lambda,\mathcal H_{cell},\mathcal A_{qloc},\alpha,\omega_0) equation describes discrete time evolution via local unitary automorphisms \alpha on a countable lattice, and reconstructs relativistic quantum field theory and geometric structure in the continuum limit. Based on this, we propose an axiomatic system for "Postulated Chaos QCA" and prove the following main results: 1. On any finite region \Omega\subset\Lambda, the restricted finite-dimensional unitary operator U_\Omega satisfies Discrete Time ETH for its quasi-energy spectrum eigenstates with respect to any local operator O_X (support X\subset\Omega): for the vast majority of eigenstates \psi_n within an energy window, equation \langle\psi_n|O_X|\psi_n\rangle =\langle O_X\rangle_{micro}(\varepsilon_n) +\mathcal O(e^{-c|\Omega|}), equation and the squared average of off-diagonal matrix elements decays exponentially with volume, achieving eigenstate thermalization for local observables. 2. Under the axioms of "Postulated Chaos QCA" (finite propagation radius, translation symmetry, local gates generating high-order unitary designs, no extra extensive conserved quantities), the quasi-energy level statistics of the finite region U_\Omega converge after unfolding to the Wigner--Dyson distribution of the CUE random matrix class. Its spectral form factor exhibits a typical "ramp--plateau" structure, constituting a standard quantum chaos diagnosis at the QCA level. 3. Relating QCA--ETH to the Unified Time Scale: Under the unified time scale \tau, the "thermalization time scale" and the growth rate of local entropy density are jointly controlled by the energy shell average of the scale density \kappa(\omega) and the QCA light cone structure. We prove a "Unified Time--ETH--Entropy Growth Theorem": for any family of finite-density local initial states, the entropy density increases monotonically with \tau and approaches the microcanonical entropy density in the long-time limit. 4. On the global QCA universe object, embedding the above local results into the causal network and unified time scale mother structure shows that the "thermal time arrow" and "macroscopic irreversibility" on the cosmic scale can be understood as structural invariants in the unified Matrix--QCA Universe, rather than additionally introduced dynamical postulates. The appendix provides: rigorous definitions and equivalent forms of discrete time ETH; exact mapping between local random circuits and QCA; proof details and constant estimates for the QCA--ETH Theorem and CUE level statistics; and a 1D Postulated Chaos QCA model with specific predictions for numerical verification.