Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published March 24, 2021 | Submitted
Report Open

Reality as a Vector in Hilbert Space

Abstract

I defend the extremist position that the fundamental ontology of the world consists of a vector in Hilbert space evolving according to the Schrödinger equation. The laws of physics are determined solely by the energy eigenspectrum of the Hamiltonian. The structure of our observed world, including space and fields living within it, should arise as a higher-level emergent description. I sketch how this might come about, although much work remains to be done.

Additional Information

Report number: CALT-TH-2021-010. It is a pleasure to thank Ashmeet Singh, Charles Cao, Spiros Mikhalakis, and Ning Bao for collaboration on some of the work described here. This research is funded in part by the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics at Caltech, by DOE grant DE-SC0011632, and by the Foundational Questions Institute.

Attached Files

Submitted - 2103.09780.pdf

Files

2103.09780.pdf
Files (319.8 kB)
Name Size Download all
md5:84ba61c8dc84dacd9824ad08a151f57a
319.8 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 20, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023