Histories,Bell-like inequalities,and QMSL evolution

It is shown that a particular kind of Bell inequality is associated with a decoherent set of histories in the Gell-Mann-Hartle sense. A special case is studied and the Gell-Mann-Hartle and QMSL schemes are confronted.     

Contrary Inferences in Consistent Histories and a Set Selection Criterion

The best developed formulation of closed system quantum theory that handles multiple-time statements, is the consistent (or decoherent) histories approach. The most important weaknesses of the approach is that it gives rise to many different consistent sets, and it has been argued that a complete interpretation should be accompanied with a natural mechanism leading to a (possibly) unique preferred consistent set. The existence of multiple consistent sets becomes more problematic because it allows the existence of contrary inferences [1]. We analyse the conceptual difficulties that arise from the existence of multiple consistent sets and provide a suggestion for a natural set selection criterion. This criterion does not lead to a unique physical consistent set, however it evades the existence of consistent sets with contrary inferences. The criterion is based on the concept of preclusion and the requirement that probability one propositions and their inferences should be non-contextual. The allowed consistent sets turn-out to be compatible with coevents which are the ontology of an alternative, histories based, formulation [2–4].     

Decoherent Histories and Realism

We reconsider the decoherent histories approach to quantum mechanics and analyze some problems related to its interpretation which we believe have not been adequately clarified by its proponents. We put forward some assumptions which, in our opinion, are necessary for a realistic interpretation of the probabilities that the formalism attaches to decoherent histories. We prove that such assumptions, unless one limits the set of the decoherent families which can be taken into account, lead to a logical contradiction. The line of reasoning we follow is conceptually different from other arguments which have been presented and which have been rejected by the supporters of the decoherent histories approach. The conclusion is that the decoherent histories approach, to be considered as an interesting realistic alternative to the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics, requires the identification of a mathematically precise criterion to characterize an appropriate set of decoherent families which does not give rise to any problem.     

Quantum arrival time formula from decoherent histories

We use the decoherent histories approach to quantum mechanics to compute the probability for a wave packet to cross the origin during a given time interval. We define class operators (sums of strings of projectors) characterizing quantum-mechanical crossing and simplify them using a semiclassical approximation. Using these class operators we find that histories crossing the origin during different time intervals are approximately decoherent for a variety of initial states. Probabilities may therefore be assigned and coincide with the flux of the wave packet (the standard semiclassical formula), and are positive. The known initial states for which the flux is negative (backflow states) are shown to correspond to non-decoherent sets of histories, so probabilities may not be assigned.     

Consistent Histories in Quantum Cosmology

We illustrate the crucial role played by decoherence (consistency of quantum histories) in extracting consistent quantum probabilities for alternative histories in quantum cosmology. Specifically, within a Wheeler-DeWitt quantization of a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological model sourced with a free massless scalar field, we calculate the probability that the universe is singular in the sense that it assumes zero volume. Classical solutions of this model are a disjoint set of expanding and contracting singular branches. A naive assessment of the behavior of quantum states which are superpositions of expanding and contracting universes suggests that a “quantum bounce” is possible i.e. that the wave function of the universe may remain peaked on a non-singular classical solution throughout its history. However, a more careful consistent histories analysis shows that for arbitrary states in the physical Hilbert space the probability of this Wheeler-DeWitt quantum universe encountering the big bang/crunch singularity is equal to unity. A quantum Wheeler-DeWitt universe is inevitably singular, and a “quantum bounce” is thus not possible in these models.     

Anomalies of weakened decoherence criteria for quantum histories

The theory of decoherent histories is checked for the requirement of statistical independence of subsystems. Strikingly, this is satisfied only when the decoherence functional is diagonal in both its real and imaginary parts. Although the weakened condition of consistency (or weak decoherence), allowing a nondiagonal imaginary part, is sufficient for the assignment of probabilities, it may easily violate the statistical independence of subsystems. Therefore, weakened consistency conditions and various related generalizations of the concept of decoherent histories appear to be ruled out. The same conclusion is obtained independently, by claiming a plausible dynamical robustness of decoherent histories.     

On the representations of quantum oscillator algebra

It is shown that for q<1, the quantum oscillator algebra has a supplementary family of representations inequivalent to the usual q-Fock representation, with no counterpart at the limit q=1. They are used to build representations of SU _q (1,1) and E(2) in Schwinger's way.     

Typicality vs. Probability in Trajectory-Based Formulations of Quantum Mechanics

Bohmian mechanics represents the universe as a set of paths with a probability measure defined on it. The way in which a mathematical model of this kind can explain the observed phenomena of the universe is examined in general. It is shown that the explanation does not make use of the full probability measure, but rather of a suitable set function deriving from it, which defines relative typicality between single-time cylinder sets. Such a set function can also be derived directly from the standard quantum formalism, without the need of an underlying probability measure. The key concept for this derivation is the quantum typicality rule, which can be considered as a generalization of the Born rule. The result is a new formulation of quantum mechanics, in which particles follow definite trajectories, but which is based only on the standard formalism of quantum mechanics.     

G-essence with Yukawa interactions

We study the g-essence model with Yukawa interactions between a scalar field φ and a Dirac field ψ. For the homogeneous, isotropic and flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker universe filled with the such g-essence, the exact solution of the model is found. Moreover, we reconstruct the corresponding scalar and fermionic potentials which describe the coupled dynamics of the scalar and fermionic fields. It is shown that some particular g-essence models with Yukawa interactions correspond to the usual and generalized Chaplygin gas unified models of dark energy and dark matter. Also we present some scalar–fermionic Dirac–Born–Infeld models corresponding g-essence models with Yukawa interactions which again describe the unified dark energy–dark matter system.     

Decoherence,relative states,and evolutionary adaptation

We review the decoherent histories approach to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Everett relative-state theory is reformulated in terms of decoherent histories. A model of evolutionary adaptation is shown to imply decoherence. A general interpretative framework is proposed: probability and value-definiteness are to have a similar status to the attribution of tense in classical spacetime theory.Comments and suggestions by D. Albert, J. Butterfield, J. Halliwell, H. Putnam, A. Shimony, E. Squires, P. Tappenden, and R. Weingard are gratefully acknowledged. Versions of this material were presented at Rutgers, Budapest, Imperial College, London, Oxford, and Cambridge; I thank the organizers and participants for their hospitality and constructive criticisms.     

Consistent Quantum Realism: A Reply to Bassi and Ghirardi

A recent claim by Bassi and Ghirardi that the consistent (decoherent) histories approach cannot provide a realistic interpretation of quantum theory is shown to be based upon a misunderstanding of the single-framework rule: they have replaced the correct rule with a principle which directly contradicts it. It is their assumptions, not those of the consistent histories approach, which lead to a logical contradiction.     

Quasiclassicality and Quantum Measurement

We address two problems arising in the quantum measurement process: A rigorous definition of quasiclassical systems and its implications for the observed collapse of the wave function. For a mathematical definition of quasiclassical systems, we recall the structure of models for the classical world. They describe the dynamics of some simultaneously measurable quantities, thereby ignoring many properties of the modeled real world phenomena, especially all quantum mechanical ones. In this article, we define a quasiclassical system as a quantum system which allows such a simplified modelling. By classifying such quasiclassical systems, it is shown that they naturally correspond to classical systems in the usual sense. By describing quantum measurements with the aid of quasiclassical systems, we then observe an effect that is similar to decoherence: While the latter implies that off-diagonal entries of the density matrix vanish, in the former they correspond to the parts of the system that are not modeled and thus can be ignored. Especially, they do not influence any measurements of the properties contained in the classical model. Mathematically, this allows to treat the output of a quantum measurement as a classical probability distribution. Finally, we discuss some implications of this definition of quasiclassicality on the interpretation of quantum mechanics.     

Glafka 2004: The Decoherent Histories Approach to the Quantization of Cosmological Models

The decoherent histories approach is a particularly useful approach to quantum theory especially when time enters in a non-trivial way, or indeed, when there is no physical time coordinate at all, as is the case in quantum cosmology. Here, attempts to apply the decoherent histories approach to quantum cosmology are described.     

P-Matrix and J-Matrix Approaches: Coulomb Asymptotics in the Harmonic Oscillator Representation of Scattering Theory

The relation between the R- and P-matrix approaches and the harmonic oscillator representation of the quantum scattering theory (J-matrix method) is discussed. We construct a discrete analogue of the P-matrix that is shown to be equivalent to the usual P-matrix in the quasiclassical limit. A definition of the natural channel radius is introduced. As a result, it is shown to be possible to use a well-developed technique of R- and P-matrix theory for calculation of resonant states characteristics, scattering phase shifts, etc., in the approaches based on harmonic oscillator expansions, e.g., in nuclear shell-model calculations. The P-matrix is used also for formulation of the method of treating Coulomb asymptotics in the scattering theory in oscillator representation.     

Cosmological limits on computation

A true universal Turing machine can be constructed only if it is possible to actually process and store an infinite number of bits between now and the end of the universe. Conditions on the universe are derived that must hold if such processing and storage is to be possible. In particular, it is shown that it is possible only if the universe is closed and only if its futurec-boundary consists of a single point.     

The universe dynamics from topological considerations

We explore the possibility that the dynamics of the universe can be reproduced choosing appropriately the initial global topology of the Universe. In this work we start with two concentric spherical three-dimensional branes S ³, with radius a ₁ < a ₂ immersed in a five-dimensional space-time. The novel feature of this model is that in the interior brane there exist only spin-zero fundamental fields (scalar fields), while in the exterior one there exist only spin-one fundamental interactions. As usual, the bulk of the universe is dominated by gravitational interactions. In this model, like in the Ekpyrotic one, the Big Bang is consequence of the collision of the branes and causes the existence of the particles predicted by the standard model in the exterior brane (our universe). The scalar fields on the interior brane interact with the spin-one fields on the exterior one only through gravitation, they induce the effect of Scalar Field Dark Matter with an ultra-light mass on the exterior one. We discuss two different regimes where the energy density and the brane tension are compared, with the aim to obtain the observed dynamics of the universe after the collision of the branes.