Topics in the decoherent histories approach to quantum theory and quantum gravity

Claus Kiefer

T. Christodoulakis, Petros Wallden

The problem of time in quantum gravity arises due to the diffeomorphisms invariance of the theory and appears via the Hamiltonian constraint, in the canonical quantizations. There is a need for a description where one can ask some timeless questions that still encode some sense of temporality. The decoherent histories approach to quantum theory, already at the kinematical level admits an internal time. Several alternative proposals for resolving the problem of time via the decoherent histories, exist, and in this contribution we focus on one particular and examine how it manifests itself at some simple cosmological models.

Joe Henson

This paper reviews the histories approach to quantum mechanics. This discussion is then applied to theories of quantum gravity. It is argued that some of the quantum histories must approximate (in a suitable sense) to classical histories, if the correct classical regime is to be recovered. This observation has significance for the formulation of new theories (such as quantum gravity theories) as it puts a constraint on the kinematics, if the quantum/classical correspondence principle is to be preserved. Consequences for quantum gravity, particularly for Lorentz symmetry and the idea of "emergent geometry", are discussed.

J. J. Halliwell

Joe Henson C

This paper reviews the histories approach to quantum mechanics. This discussion is then applied to theories of quantum gravity. It is argued that some of the quantum histories must approximate (in a suitable sense) to classical histories, if the correct classical regime is to be recovered. This observation has significance for the formulation of new theories (such as quantum gravity theories) as it puts a constraint on the kinematics, if the quantum/classical correspondence principle is to be preserved. Consequences for quantum gravity, particularly for Lorentz symmetry and the idea of “emergent geometry”, are discussed. 1

Hans Westman