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Main Author: Torrieri, Giorgio
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08192
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author Torrieri, Giorgio
author_facet Torrieri, Giorgio
contents Assuming the validity of the equivalence principle in the quantum regime, we argue that one of the assumptions of the usual definition of quantum mechanics, namely separation between the ``classical'' detector and the ``quantum'' system, must be relaxed. We argue, therefore, that if both the equivalence principle and quantum mechanics continue to survive experimental tests, that this favors ``epistemic'' interpretations of quantum mechanics (where formalism is built around relations between observables) over ``ontic ones'' (assuming the reality of states and wavefunctions). In particular, we show that relational type interpretations can readily accomodate the equivalence principle via a minor modification of the assumptions used to justify the formalism. We qualitatively speculate what a full generally covariant quantum dynamics could look like, and comment on experimental investigations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_08192
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle What is "quantum" about quantum gravity?
Torrieri, Giorgio
Quantum Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Assuming the validity of the equivalence principle in the quantum regime, we argue that one of the assumptions of the usual definition of quantum mechanics, namely separation between the ``classical'' detector and the ``quantum'' system, must be relaxed. We argue, therefore, that if both the equivalence principle and quantum mechanics continue to survive experimental tests, that this favors ``epistemic'' interpretations of quantum mechanics (where formalism is built around relations between observables) over ``ontic ones'' (assuming the reality of states and wavefunctions). In particular, we show that relational type interpretations can readily accomodate the equivalence principle via a minor modification of the assumptions used to justify the formalism. We qualitatively speculate what a full generally covariant quantum dynamics could look like, and comment on experimental investigations.
title What is "quantum" about quantum gravity?
topic Quantum Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08192