A new paper titled “Quantization of events in the event-universe and the emergence of quantum mechanics” published in Nature looks at some of the fundamental questions in Quantum Physics.
The Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT) is a new approach to quantum mechanics (QM) that treats QM as a special formalism for event representation of physical processes. This theory, which is based on the relational interpretation of QM, attempts to merge quantum theory and general relativity as two event-based theories. DHT does not use spatial or temporal pictures as starting points, instead it represents events as branches of a dendrogram (finite tree).
The theory is part of the well-established branch of theoretical physics, p-adic (non-Archimedean) physics, which has been widely explored in string theory, cosmology, and general relativity.
Unifying Quantum and Classical Mechanics
The article discusses the challenges in unifying quantum and classical mechanics and general relativity (GR). One of the main issues is the quantization scheme applied to classical observables. Quantum mechanics (QM) is about events, specifically, the outcomes of measurements. Therefore, QM can be treated as a special formalism for event representation of physical processes. This is the basic idea of the relational interpretation of QM. The article suggests that quantum theory and general relativity could be merged as two event-based theories.
Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT)
The Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT) is a recently developed theory that attempts to reconstruct QM without using the spatial or temporal picture, at least as the theory’s starting point. DHT relies on five cornerstones: Leibniz principle, relational and event interpretations of physical theories, Bohr’s viewpoint on outcomes of measurements, ontic-epistemic structuring of scientific theories, and p-adic (ultrametric) theoretical physics. In DHT, events are portrayed as branches of a dendrogram (finite tree). The dendrograms, finite trees, are constructed by collecting data, applying a hierarchical clustering algorithm, and choosing a distance metric.
P-adic Theoretical Physics
The Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT) is part of the well-established branch of theoretical physics, p-adic (non-Archimedean) physics. P-adic distance between two branches of the tree is determined by their common root in which a longer common root represents a shorter distance. Branches represent events, so the space of events, a finite or infinite tree, is endowed with a p-adic ultrametric. DHT does not deal with space–time localization of events but with p-adic distance encoding hierarchic relations between events.
Emergence of Quantum Mechanics (QM)
The paper discusses the emergence of Quantum Mechanics (QM) from the event model given by DHT. Using a scheme developed by Smolin, the article demonstrates that QM can emerge from the event model given by DHT. The views rather than the spatial coordinates are the basic quantities. The view encodes the difference between the events. This kind of quantization is not the quantization of positions and momenta but of differences between events.
Non-locality in DHT
DHT is fundamentally non-local since all events are coupled via the hierarchical relational tree-like structure. This coupling is especially evident in DHT-dynamics in which the appearance of a new event generates reconstruction of the whole dendrogramic universe via a recombination of the tree branches. However, this non-locality is not the same as Einstein’s space–time non-locality rather it is relational nonlocality. By shifting from spatial nonlocality to relational, we make Bohmian mechanics less exotic.
- One of the main problems in the unification of quantum and classical mechanics and general relativity (GR) is the quantization scheme that is applied to classical observables.
- The important lesson of quantum foundational studies is that quantum mechanics (QM) is about events, namely, the outcomes of measurements (phenomena in Bohr’s terminology). Therefore, QM can be treated as a special formalism for event representation of physical processes.
- From our viewpoint, one of the obstacles for event reconstruction of QM is the common use of spatial representation and Cartesian coordinates.
- In DHT, events (Bohr’s phenomena) are portrayed as branches of a dendrogram (finite tree).”
- DHT is neither classical nor quantum in the conventional sense.
- Emergence of QM in the Bohmian mechanics form immediately raises the issue of nonlocality and its meaning in our theory. DHT is fundamentally non-local since all events are coupled via the hierarchical relational tree-like structure.
- We remark that, although Bohmian mechanics is not the mainstream approach to quantum physics, it describes adequately all quantum experiments.
Quick Summary
The Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT) offers a new approach to quantum mechanics, representing quantum events as branches of a dendrogram or finite tree, rather than using spatial or temporal coordinates. This theory, which is neither classical nor quantum in the conventional sense, suggests a holographic principle contained in each explicate order on the implicate order, and has been successful in simplifying complex concepts in quantum mechanics.
- The article discusses the unification of quantum and classical mechanics and general relativity (GR), focusing on the quantization scheme applied to classical observables.
- Quantum mechanics (QM) is about events, specifically the outcomes of measurements. This forms the basis of the relational interpretation of QM, attributed to Rovelli.
- The article suggests that quantum theory and GR can be merged as two event-based theories.
- The Dendrographic Hologram Theory (DHT) is introduced, which reconstructs QM without using spatial or temporal pictures. Instead, it uses five cornerstones: Leibniz principle, relational and event interpretations of physical theories, Bohr’s viewpoint on outcomes of measurements, ontic-epistemic structuring of scientific theories, and p-adic (ultrametric) theoretical physics.
- In DHT, events are portrayed as branches of a dendrogram (finite tree). The dendrograms are constructed by collecting data, applying a hierarchical clustering algorithm, and choosing a distance metric.
- The article also discusses the p-adic field, which is endowed with a strange geometry where all triangles are isosceles. This is a consequence of the strong triangle inequality.
- DHT has been successful in simplifying nontrivial concepts, such as the identification of the Bohmian explicate-implicate order with the dendrogramic epistemic-ontic description of the universe.
- The article concludes by stating that DHT is neither classical nor quantum in the conventional sense. It suggests that QM can emerge from the event model given by DHT, based on a scheme developed by Smolin.