The localization problem: an antinomy between measurability and causal dynamics

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Gale, Evan P. G.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Gale, Evan P. G.
author_facet Gale, Evan P. G.
contents The localization problem in relativistic quantum theory has persisted for more than seven decades, yet it is largely unknown and continues to perplex even those well-versed in the subject. At the heart of this problem lies a fundamental conflict between localizability and relativistic causality, which can also be construed as part of the broader dichotomy between measurement and unitary dynamics. This article provides a historical review of the localization problem in one-particle relativistic quantum mechanics, clarifying some persistent misconceptions in the literature, and underscoring the antinomy between causal dynamics and localized observables.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_15254
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The localization problem: an antinomy between measurability and causal dynamics
Gale, Evan P. G.
Quantum Physics
History and Philosophy of Physics
The localization problem in relativistic quantum theory has persisted for more than seven decades, yet it is largely unknown and continues to perplex even those well-versed in the subject. At the heart of this problem lies a fundamental conflict between localizability and relativistic causality, which can also be construed as part of the broader dichotomy between measurement and unitary dynamics. This article provides a historical review of the localization problem in one-particle relativistic quantum mechanics, clarifying some persistent misconceptions in the literature, and underscoring the antinomy between causal dynamics and localized observables.
title The localization problem: an antinomy between measurability and causal dynamics
topic Quantum Physics
History and Philosophy of Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.15254