Records Theory

Abstract

In quantum gravity, one seeks to combine quantum mechanics and general relativity. In such attempts, one comes across the `problem of time' impasse: the notion of time is conceptually different in each of these theories. In this paper, I consider the timeless records approach toward resolving this. Records are localized, information-containing subconfigurations of a single instant. Records theory is the study of these and of how science (or history) is to be abstracted from correlations between them. I critically evaluate motivations for this approach that have previously appeared in the literature. I provide a ground-level structure for records theory and discuss what kind of further tools are needed, illustrated with some toy models: ordinary mechanics, relatonal particle dynamics, detector models and inhomogeneous perturbations about homogeneous cosmology.

29 pages and 1 figure. References updated and Journal Reference added

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Cited by in corpus (16)

• Problem of Time in Quantum Gravity
• Beables/Observables in Classical and Quantum Gravity
• Triangleland. I. Classical dynamics with exchange of relative angular momentum
• Approaching the Problem of Time with a Combined Semiclassical-Records-Histories Scheme
• Triangleland. II. Quantum Mechanics of Pure Shape
• On the Semiclassical Approach to Quantum Cosmology
• Timelessness strictly inside the Quantum Realm
• Minisuperspace model of Machian Resolution of Problem of Time. I. Isotropic Case
• Relational Motivation for Conformal Operator Ordering in Quantum Cosmology
• On the Conceptual Issues Surrounding the Notion of Relational Bohmian Dynamics
• Quantum Cosmological Metroland Model
• Problem of Time: Facets and Machian Strategy
• Shape Space Methods for Quantum Cosmological Triangleland
• $\Psi$-Epistemic Quantum Cosmology?
• Quantum Cosmological Relational Model of Shape and Scale in 1-d
• Relational Quadrilateralland. II. The Quantum Theory