© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

Entropic Dynamics Approach to the Classical Limit of Quantum Mechanics: Decoupling of the Center of Mass Motion for a Mesoscopic Particle

Fatimah Judayba

Published Jan 1, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

In the Entropic Dynamics (ED) approach, quantum mechanics is derived from the principles of entropic inference and information geometry. The ED approach differs from other interpretations by making a clear commitment to distinguishing which variables are ontic (real) and which are epistemic. The classical limit for the center of mass (CM) coordinate is achieved for a large number of particles, M →∞, while Planck’s constant ℏ remains finite. Typically, the emergence of the classical limit requires decoherence through interactions with the external environment. In this work, we investigate whether the classical behavior of the CM coordinate in a mesoscopic system can instead be achieved through internal decoherence resulting from interactions of the CM with the particles of the system itself. Within the framework of entropic dynamics, we study how correlations between a system’s center of mass and its internal coordinates impact this transition. We look at mesoscopic systems placed in both uniform and non-uniform gravitational potentials using probabilistic forms of the Hamilton–Jacobi equation. In uniform fields, the center of mass remains independent of internal coordinates, maintaining quantum coherence. Meanwhile, non-uniform potentials create coupling that induces decoherence, leading to classical behavior. These results show correlation-induced information loss as a natural process for the quantum-to-classical transition and clarify how entropic dynamics provide a coherent, information-theoretic link between quantum and classical realms.

Related papers

The Classical Limit of Entropic Quantum Dynamics

Anthony Demme

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

•May 1, 2017•5 citations

The classical limit of entropic quantum dynamics

Anthony Demme, Ariel Caticha

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ħ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

arXiv:1612.01905•AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2017•10 citations

The Classical Limit of Entropic Quantum Dynamics

Anthony Demme

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

•May 1, 2017•0 citations

The Classical Limit of Entropic Quantum Dynamics

Anthony Demme

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

•May 1, 2017•0 citations

Unified Entropic Dynamics Framework for Classical, and Quantum Wave Equations

Shahid Nawaz, Muhammad Saleem, M. S. Anwar +1 more

Entropic Dynamics (ED) provides a statistical-inferential foundation for physical laws, deriving motion and field equations from principles of entropy maximization rather than quantization postulates. ED reconstructs quantum mechanics by treating the evolution of probability distributions on configuration space as driven by information constraints, yielding the Schrodinger equation as a non-dissipative diffusion process. Building on this foundation, the present work extends the ED framework into a Unified Entropic Dynamics (UED) formulation that encompasses classical, quantum, relativistic, thermodynamic, and gravitational phenomena within a single information geometric principle. By maximizing entropy subject to constraints on diffusion, drift, and gauge covariance over a manifold endowed with a supermetric H_ab, we derive a universal field equation that merges the Fokker-Planck and Hamilton-Jacobi structures into one covariant form. When specialized to different dynamical variables, this equation reproduces the harmonic oscillator, Schrodinger, Maxwell, Klein-Gordon, and gravitational wave equations, thereby revealing a deep equivalence between probabilistic inference and dynamical law. The UED framework demonstrates that spacetime geometry, quantum coherence and thermodynamic diffusion emerge as complementary expressions of the same entropic process, establishing a unified inferential foundation for both microscopic and macroscopic physics. In this formulation, energy, probability, and entropy are intertwined aspects of information geometry, providing a consistent inferential foundation for understanding classical, quantum, and gravitational dynamics as complementary expressions of a single entropic law.

arXiv:2606.23770•Jun 22, 2026•0 citations

Proof of quantum to classical transition for the center of mass of quantum many body systems

Marco Bilardello

The classical limit of quantum mechanics is investigated, by focusing on the study of the center of mass of a many-body system where each particle is described by quantum mechanics. We study how, in the limit when the number of particles diverges and under quite general assumptions, the center of mass of the system is not anymore described by quantum mechanics but by classical mechanics: the center of mass of the system becomes with a well-defined position and momentum, the state of the center of mass is fully determined by its position and by its momentum, and its dynamics is given by the classical law of dynamics. In order to get this result, three assumptions on the many-body system are necessary: the total mass of the system must be much larger than the mass of each particle composing the system; at most a finite number of particles has non-zero correlation in position with an infinite number of particles; finally, when the number of particles composing the system diverge, the variance in position of each particle converges to a finite value. These assumptions are commonly realized for a macroscopic solid and liquid systems. The results obtained in this paper show how the classical limit of quantum mechanics can be naturally achieved without the need to modify quantum mechanics, without the need to have an external environment and without the need of changing the interpretations of quantum mechanics.

arXiv:2508.01362•Aug 2, 2025•0 citations

In the Entropic Dynamics (ED) approach, quantum mechanics is derived from the principles of entropic inference and information geometry. The ED approach differs from other interpretations by making a clear commitment to distinguishing which variables are ontic (real) and which are epistemic. The classical limit for the center of mass (CM) coordinate is achieved for a large number of particles, M →∞, while Planck’s constant ℏ remains finite. Typically, the emergence of the classical limit requires decoherence through interactions with the external environment. In this work, we investigate whether the classical behavior of the CM coordinate in a mesoscopic system can instead be achieved through internal decoherence resulting from interactions of the CM with the particles of the system itself. Within the framework of entropic dynamics, we study how correlations between a system’s center of mass and its internal coordinates impact this transition. We look at mesoscopic systems placed in both uniform and non-uniform gravitational potentials using probabilistic forms of the Hamilton–Jacobi equation. In uniform fields, the center of mass remains independent of internal coordinates, maintaining quantum coherence. Meanwhile, non-uniform potentials create coupling that induces decoherence, leading to classical behavior. These results show correlation-induced information loss as a natural process for the quantum-to-classical transition and clarify how entropic dynamics provide a coherent, information-theoretic link between quantum and classical realms.

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ħ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

The framework of entropic dynamics (ED) allows one to derive quantum mechanics as an application of entropic inference. In this work we derive the classical limit of quantum mechanics in the context of ED. Our goal is to find conditions so that the center of mass (CM) of a system of N particles behaves as a classical particle. What is of interest is that ~ remains finite at all steps in the calculation and that the classical motion is obtained as the result of a central limit theorem. More explicitly we show that if the system is sufficiently large, and if the CM is initially uncorrelated with other degrees of freedom, then the CM follows a smooth trajectory and obeys the classical Hamilton-Jacobi with a vanishing quantum potential.

Entropic Dynamics (ED) provides a statistical-inferential foundation for physical laws, deriving motion and field equations from principles of entropy maximization rather than quantization postulates. ED reconstructs quantum mechanics by treating the evolution of probability distributions on configuration space as driven by information constraints, yielding the Schrodinger equation as a non-dissipative diffusion process. Building on this foundation, the present work extends the ED framework into a Unified Entropic Dynamics (UED) formulation that encompasses classical, quantum, relativistic, thermodynamic, and gravitational phenomena within a single information geometric principle. By maximizing entropy subject to constraints on diffusion, drift, and gauge covariance over a manifold endowed with a supermetric H_ab, we derive a universal field equation that merges the Fokker-Planck and Hamilton-Jacobi structures into one covariant form. When specialized to different dynamical variables, this equation reproduces the harmonic oscillator, Schrodinger, Maxwell, Klein-Gordon, and gravitational wave equations, thereby revealing a deep equivalence between probabilistic inference and dynamical law. The UED framework demonstrates that spacetime geometry, quantum coherence and thermodynamic diffusion emerge as complementary expressions of the same entropic process, establishing a unified inferential foundation for both microscopic and macroscopic physics. In this formulation, energy, probability, and entropy are intertwined aspects of information geometry, providing a consistent inferential foundation for understanding classical, quantum, and gravitational dynamics as complementary expressions of a single entropic law.

The classical limit of quantum mechanics is investigated, by focusing on the study of the center of mass of a many-body system where each particle is described by quantum mechanics. We study how, in the limit when the number of particles diverges and under quite general assumptions, the center of mass of the system is not anymore described by quantum mechanics but by classical mechanics: the center of mass of the system becomes with a well-defined position and momentum, the state of the center of mass is fully determined by its position and by its momentum, and its dynamics is given by the classical law of dynamics. In order to get this result, three assumptions on the many-body system are necessary: the total mass of the system must be much larger than the mass of each particle composing the system; at most a finite number of particles has non-zero correlation in position with an infinite number of particles; finally, when the number of particles composing the system diverge, the variance in position of each particle converges to a finite value. These assumptions are commonly realized for a macroscopic solid and liquid systems. The results obtained in this paper show how the classical limit of quantum mechanics can be naturally achieved without the need to modify quantum mechanics, without the need to have an external environment and without the need of changing the interpretations of quantum mechanics.