Time and Events

Holger Lyre

Vittorio Giovannetti, Seth Lloyd, Lorenzo Maccone

Abstract We propose a special relativistic framework for quantum mechanics. It is based on introducing a Hilbert space for events. Events are taken as primitive notions (as customary in relativity), whereas quantum systems (e.g. fields and particles) are emergent in the form of joint probability amplitudes for position and time of events. Textbook relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory can be recovered by dividing the event Hilbert spaces into space and time (a foliation) and then conditioning the event states onto the time part. Our theory satisfies the full Lorentz symmetry as a ‘geometric’ unitary transformation, and possesses relativistic observables for space (location of an event) and time (position in time of an event).

Sergey Khachatur Aityan

This paper introduces the concept of time as a count of a count of changes or events that set up a local "clock" in each system. Time does not exist without changes in the system and every system runs its own local time. In interaction, systems generate a sequence of interaction events that are being added to the internal pool of events in each system. Any observation is made with the local time of the observer system and changes the observer's local time by adding observation events to the observer's time count. Local time in any "nite and closed system is "nite and obeys the saturation principle due to limitations of the event counting capacity of the system. Traditional continuous time is just a convenient approximation for the enormous number of events occurring in our world that set up our local "clock". !e event-based approach does not conflict with modern physics but proposes a new view of the fundamental notion of time and brings us one step closer to understanding the world in which we live. The greatest mystery of the notion of time is that there is no time at all.

Daniel M. Greenberger, Karl Svozil

Consequences of the basic and most evident consistency requirement|that measured events cannot happen and not happen at the same time|are reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to event forecast and event control. As a consequence, particular, very general bounds on the forecast and control of events within the known laws of physics result. These bounds are of a global, statistical nature and need not aect singular events or groups of events. We also present a quantum mechanical model of time travel and discuss chronology protection schemes. Such models impose restrictions upon certain capacities of event control.

David Z. Albert, Hans Christian von Baeyer