Symmetry of Physical Laws Part I. Symmetry in Space-Time and Balance Theorems

1955 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satosi Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Andrew Bacon

The fact that physical laws often admit certain kinds of space-time symmetries is often thought to be problematic for substantivalism—the view that space-time is as real as the objects it contains. The most prominent alternative, relationism, avoids these problems but at the cost of giving abstract objects (rather than space-time points) a pivotal role in the fundamental metaphysics. This incurs related problems concerning the relation of the physical to the mathematical. This paper presents a version of substantivalism that respects Leibnizian theses about space-time symmetries, and argues that it is superior to both relationism and the more orthodox form of substantivalism.


Author(s):  
Oleg V. Avchenko ◽  

Two narratives – natural science and religious, intersect in the area of ​​unobserv­able ontology – an immaterial, transcendental, but real area that paradoxically exists outside and inside ordinary physical space-time. It is assumed that mathe­matical constructs, physical laws, physical constants, quantum objects, and even biological laws can be associated with this area. It is argued that physical laws are not invented by man, but are discovered, since they contain physical con­stants measured in special experimental works. Universal constants were not invented for reasons of convenience – physics accepts them as an inevitable con­sequence of the coincidence of the results of all special measurements. Observa­tional data are presented that indicate an extremely small change in fundamental constants or even their constancy over the entire time of the existence of the Uni­verse, although this interesting problem cannot be considered finally solved. The ontology of quantum objects is considered within the framework of Seval­nikov's polyiontic paradigm, according to which two modes are distinguished – potential and actual. The potential existence of quantum objects is described by the Schrödinger wave function, and the actual one appears during the transition from the spectrum of possible states to the only observable one. It is emphasized that potential being does not belong to the classical space, but is in an unobserv­able ontology. The observed state, on the contrary, is already in ordinary space – time and can be recorded by the device. This determines the existence of a spe­cial transcendental layer of reality, along with the material, which may indicate a certain duality in the structure of the Universe. Then it should be assumed that our Universe is not a universal, but a multiverse – a set of different worlds onto­logically having a different nature. In addition, the polyiontic paradigm leads to the idea that, at the quantum level, matter can be derived from information hid­den in an unobservable ontology.


Author(s):  
Paolo Perinotti

The mathematical description of quantum systems univocally identies their nature. In other words we treat a system as quantum if we describe its behaviour adopting Hilbert spaces and structures thereof, as prescribed by the postulates of quantum theory. The choice of using quantum systems as the elementary systems of physics can be justied in terms of informational principles, thanks to results of the last decade. Such results come as the conclusion of a research program that lasted almost one century, with the aim of reformulating quantum theory in terms of operational principles. This achievement now poses a new challenge, that we face here. If the systems of quantum theory are thought of as elementary information carriers in the rst place, rather than elementary constituents of matter, and their connections are logical connections within a given algorithm, rather than space-time relations, then we need to nd the origin of mechanical concepts—that characterise quantum mechanics as a theory of physical systems. To this end,we will illustrate howphysical laws can be viewed as algorithms for the update of memory registers that make a physical system. Imposing the characteristic properties of physical laws to such an algorithm, i.e. homogeneity, reversibility and isotropy, we will show that the physical laws thus selected are particular algorithms known as cellular automata. Further assumptions regarding maximal simplicity of the algorithm lead to two cellular automata only, that in a suitable regime can be described by Weyl’s dierential equations, lying at the basis of the dynamics of relativistic quantum elds. We will nally discuss how the same cellular automaton can give rise to both Fermionic eld dynamics and to Maxwell’s equations, that rule the dynamics of the electromagnetic eld. We will conclude reviewing the discussion of the relativity principle, that must be suitably adapted to the scenario where space-time is not an elementary notion, through the denition of a change of inertial reference frame, and whose formulation leads to the recovery of the symmetry of Minkowski space-time, identied with Poincar´e’s group. Space-time thus emerges as one of the manifestations of physical laws, rather than the background where they occur, and its features are determined by the dynamics of systems, necessarily equipped with dierential equations that express it. In brief, there is no space-time unless an evolution rule requires it.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (23) ◽  
pp. 1850137 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Rebhan

In a previous paper (Ref. 1), the presence of dark energy in our universe was explained as the fingerprint of a comprehensive, much older and expanding multiverse with positive spatial curvature, whose space–time is spanned by this energy, and which was created out of nothing. This concept is expanded by the addition of a model for explaining the decay of the mass density [Formula: see text] of dark energy from its origin until now by a factor of approximately [Formula: see text]. Elementary particles contain information about which laws of nature they obey, but not what exactly these are. Most likely, the laws are not followed by obedience to a categorical imperative. Rather, it is assumed, that from the very beginning the information about them is coded in submicroscopic patches of the space–time. The initial density [Formula: see text] is supposed to belong to the unimpaired cosmological constant obtained from elementary particle theory. Due to its huge value, it causes an extremely fast spatial expansion by which continuously new space–time elements are created. To them, the information about the physical laws must be transmitted from the already present space–time. This process needs time which with ever-increasing expansion velocity is getting scarcer and scarcer. It is concluded that this impedes the expansion through a friction-like process which can be described by a term proportional to the expansion velocity. This term is subtracted from the expansion acceleration. It is shown that the solutions thus obtained are also solutions of the cosmological standard equations employing a scalar field [Formula: see text]. In consequence, the present model can be considered as a reinterpretation of results which can be obtained with acknowledged methods.


2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Kennedy
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Roger Penrose ◽  
Wolfgang Rindler
Keyword(s):  

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