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Modern Space-Time and Undecidability

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Minkowski Spacetime: A Hundred Years Later

Part of the book series: Fundamental Theories of Physics ((FTPH,volume 165))

Abstract

The picture of space-time that Minkowski created in 1907 has been followed by two important developments in physics not contained in the original picture: general relativity and quantum mechanics. We will argue that the use of concepts of those theories to construct space-time implies conceptual modifications in quantum mechanics. In particular one can construct a viable picture of quantum mechanics without a reduction process that has outcomes equivalent to a picture with a reduction process. One therefore has two theories that are entirely equivalent experimentally but profoundly different in the description of reality they give. This introduces a fundamental level of undecidability in physics of a kind that has not been present before. We discuss some of the implications.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, Montevideo University, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Rodolfo Gambini

  2. Horace Hearne Jr. Institute for Theoretical Physics Center for Computation and Technology Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-4001, USA

    Jorge Pullin

Authors
  1. Rodolfo Gambini
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  2. Jorge Pullin
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Correspondence to Jorge Pullin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Liberal Arts College, Concordia University, de Maisonneuve Blvd. West 1455, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada

    Vesselin Petkov

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Gambini, R., Pullin, J. (2010). Modern Space-Time and Undecidability. In: Petkov, V. (eds) Minkowski Spacetime: A Hundred Years Later. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 165. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3475-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3475-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3474-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3475-5

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