# The problem of induction 3

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In a sense (of the word “pattern”), there is always a pattern.

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Where if there are no patterns, everything is random?

Then we have a meta-pattern; we can use probability laws:

In that case, every (microscopic) case is equally probable. Then by counting the possible number of microstates of each macrostate, we can deduce that which macrostate is the most probable.

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Where if not all microstates are equally probable?

Then it has patterns directly.

For example, we can deduce that which microstate is the most probable.

— Me@2012.11.05

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# Relational quantum mechanics

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Relational quantum mechanics (RQM) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics which treats the state of a quantum system as being observer-dependent, that is, the state is the relation between the observer and the system. This interpretation was first delineated by Carlo Rovelli in a 1994 preprint, and has since been expanded upon by a number of theorists. It is inspired by the key idea behind special relativity, that the details of an observation depend on the reference frame of the observer, and uses some ideas from Wheeler on quantum information.

,,,

Relational solution

In RQM, an interaction between a system and an observer is necessary for the system to have clearly defined properties relative to that observer. Since the two measurement events take place at spacelike separation, they do not lie in the intersection of Alice’s and Bob’s light cones. Indeed, there is no observer who can instantaneously measure both electrons’ spin.

The key to the RQM analysis is to remember that the results obtained on each “wing” of the experiment only become determinate for a given observer once that observer has interacted with the other observer involved. As far as Alice is concerned, the specific results obtained on Bob’s wing of the experiment are indeterminate for her, although she will know that Bob has a definite result. In order to find out what result Bob has, she has to interact with him at some time ${\displaystyle t_{3}}$ in their future light cones, through ordinary classical information channels.

The question then becomes one of whether the expected correlations in results will appear: will the two particles behave in accordance with the laws of quantum mechanics? Let us denote by ${\displaystyle M_{A}(\alpha )}$ the idea that the observer ${\displaystyle A}$ (Alice) measures the state of the system ${\displaystyle \alpha}$ (Alice’s particle).

So, at time ${\displaystyle t_{2}}$, Alice knows the value of ${\displaystyle M_{A}(\alpha )}$: the spin of her particle, relative to herself. But, since the particles are in a singlet state, she knows that

${\displaystyle M_{A}(\alpha )+M_{A}(\beta )=0,}$

and so if she measures her particle’s spin to be ${\displaystyle \sigma }$, she can predict that Bob’s particle ( ${\displaystyle \beta }$ ) will have spin ${\displaystyle -\sigma }$. All this follows from standard quantum mechanics, and there is no “spooky action at a distance” yet. From the “coherence-operator” discussed above, Alice also knows that if at ${\displaystyle t_{3}}$ she measures Bob’s particle and then measures Bob (that is asks him what result he got) — or vice versa — the results will be consistent:

${\displaystyle M_{A}(B)=M_{A}(\beta )}$

Finally, if a third observer (Charles, say) comes along and measures Alice, Bob, and their respective particles, he will find that everyone still agrees, because his own “coherence-operator” demands that

${\displaystyle M_{C}(A)=M_{C}(\alpha )}$ and ${\displaystyle M_{C}(B)=M_{C}(\beta )}$

while knowledge that the particles were in a singlet state tells him that

${\displaystyle M_{C}(\alpha )+M_{C}(\beta )=0.}$

Thus the relational interpretation, by shedding the notion of an “absolute state” of the system, allows for an analysis of the EPR paradox which neither violates traditional locality constraints, nor implies superluminal information transfer, since we can assume that all observers are moving at comfortable sub-light velocities. And, most importantly, the results of every observer are in full accordance with those expected by conventional quantum mechanics.

— Wikipedia on Relational quantum mechanics

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2018.10.22 Monday ACHK

# Universal wave function, 20

The physical (synthetic) universal wave function logically cannot be found by any local observers.

The definition of “universe” is “all the things”. So there is no outside.

A global observer has to be outside the universe.

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However, a mathematical (analytic) universal function is possible.

It applies to theoretical/model universe, which can be used to develop interpretations of quantum mechanics and successively approximate the physical universe.

— Me@2012-04-16

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# Pointer state

Eigenstates 3

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In quantum Darwinism and similar theories, pointer states are quantum states that are less perturbed by decoherence than other states, and are the quantum equivalents of the classical states of the system after decoherence has occurred through interaction with the environment.

— Wikipedia on Pointer state

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In calculation, if a quantum state is in a superposition, that superposition is a superposition of eigenstates.

However, real superposition does not just includes states that make macroscopic senses.

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That is the major mistake of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

— Me@2017-12-30 10:24 AM

— Me@2018-07-03 07:24 PM

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# Block spacetime, 9

motohagiography 42 days ago [-]

I once saw a fridge magnet that said “time is natures way of making sure everything doesn’t happen all at once,” and it’s stuck with me.

The concept of time not being “real,” can be useful as an exercise for modelling problems where to fully explore the problem space, you need to decouple your solutions from needing them to occur in an order or sequence.

From an engineering perspective, “removing” time means you can model problems abstractly by stepping back from a problem and asking, what are all possible states of the mechanism, then which ones are we implementing, and finally, in what order. This is different from the relatively stochastic approach most people take of “given X, what is the necessary next step to get to desired endstate.”

More simply, as a tool, time helps us apprehend the states of a system by reducing the scope of our perception of them to sets of serial, ordered phenomena.

Whether it is “real,” or an artifact of our perception is sort of immaterial when you can choose to reason about things with it, or without it. A friend once joked that math is what you get when you remove time from physics.

I look forward to the author’s new book.

— Gödel and the unreality of time

— Hacker News

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2018.06.26 Tuesday ACHK

# Eigenstates 2.3.2

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eigenstates

~ classical states

~ definite states

— Me@2012-04-15 11:42:10 PM

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The concept of eigenstate is relative.

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First, you have to specify the eigenstate is of which physical observable.

A physical system can be at an eigenstate of one observable but at a superposition state of another observable.

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Second, you have to specify the state of that observable is eigen with respect to which observer.

— Me@2018-06-16 7:27 AM

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eigenstates

~ of which observable?

~ with respect to which observer?

— Me@2018-06-19 10:54:54 AM

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# Quantum Computing, 2

stcredzero 3 months ago

A note for the savvy: A quantum computer is not a magic bit-string that mysteriously flips to the correct answer. A n-qubit quantum computer is not like 2^n phantom computers running at the same time in some quantum superposition phantom-zone. That’s the popular misconception, but it’s effectively ignorant techno-woo.

Here’s what really happens. If you have a string of n-qubits, when you measure them, they might end up randomly in [one] of the 2^n possible configurations. However, if you apply some operations to your string of n-qubits using quantum gates, you can usefully bias their wave equations, such that the probabilities of certain configurations are much more likely to appear. (You can’t have too many of these operations, however, as that runs the risk of decoherence.) Hopefully, you can do this in such a way, that the biased configurations are the answer to a problem you want to solve.

So then, if you have a quantum computer in such a setup, you can run it a bunch of times, and if everything goes well after enough iterations, you will be able to notice a bias towards certain configurations of the string of bits. If you can do this often enough to get statistical significance, then you can be pretty confident you’ve found your answers.

— An Argument Against Quantum Computers

— Hacker News

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2018.05.17 Thursday ACHK

# The Sixth Sense, 3

Mirror selves, 2 | Anatta 3.2 | 無我 3.2

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You cannot feel your own existence or non-existence. You can feel the existence or non-existence of (such as) your hair, your hands, etc.

But you cannot feel the existence or non-existence of _you_.

— Me@2018-03-17 5:12 PM

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Only OTHER people or beings can feel your existence or non-existence.

— Me@2018-04-30 11:29:08 AM

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# Quantum decoherence 8

12. On the other hand, consistent histories are just a particular convenient framework to formulate physical questions in a certain way; the only completely invariant consequence of this formalism is the Copenhagen school’s postulate that physics can only calculate the probabilities, they follow the laws of quantum mechanics, and when decoherence is taken into account, to find both the quantum/classical boundary as well as the embedding of the classical limit within the full quantum theory, some questions about quantum systems follow the laws of classical probability theory (and may be legitimately asked) while others don’t (and can’t be asked)[.]

— Decoherence is a settled subject

— Lubos Motl

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2018.04.24 Tuesday ACHK

# Logical arrow of time, 6.3

“Time’s arrow” is only meaningful when considering with respect to an observer.

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c.f. the second law of thermodynamics

The direction of time is direction of losing microscopic information… by whom?

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“Time’s arrow” is only meaningful when considering with respect to an observer.

— Me@2018-01-01 6:14 PM

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# Quantum observer 1.3.2

Principle of Least Action, 7.2

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Without quantum superposition, there would be no principle of least action and thus we would not be able to see the classical macroscopic world.

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Our mind or perception is a superposition of eigenstates.

— Me@2012.04.14

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# Logical arrow of time, 6.2

Source of time asymmetry in macroscopic physical systems

Second law of thermodynamics

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— Bohr

— paraphrased

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Physics should deduce what an observer would observe,

not what it really is, for that would be impossible.

— Me@2018-02-02 12:15:38 AM

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2. Whatever an observer can observe is a consistent history.

observer ~ a consistent story

observing ~ gathering a consistent story from the quantum reality

3. Physics [relativity and quantum mechanics] is also about the consistency of results of any two observers _when_, but not before, they compare those results, observational or experimental.

4. That consistency is guaranteed because the comparison of results itself can be regarded as a physical event, which can be observed by a third observer, aka a meta observer.

Since whenever an observer can observe is consistent, the meta-observer would see that the two observers have consistent observational results.

5. Either original observers is one of the possible meta-observers, since it certainly would be witnessing the comparison process of the observation data.

— Me@2018-02-02 10:25:05 PM

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# phe-nomenon | 本體現象 || an observer | a causal diamond

My categories “phe-nomenon | 本體現象” and “an observer | a causal diamond” are equivalent, except that the latter focuses on physics.

— Me@2018-01-22 10:37:50 AM

# Superposition always exist

A Non-classical Feature, 2

superposition ~ linear overlapping

~ f(ax + by) = a f(x) + b f(y)

Reality is a linear overlapping of potential realities, although different components may have different weightings.

Superposition always exists, if it exists at the beginning of a process.

So the expression “the wave function collapses and the superposition ceases to exist” does not make sense.

Superposition always exist; interference (pattern) does not.

For a superposition to have an interference pattern, the two (for example) component eigenstates need to have a constant phase difference.

In other words, they have to be coherent.

superposition without an interference pattern

~ microscopically decoherent component states

~ macroscopically a classical state

— Me@2016-09-01 4:42 AM

# Black hole complementarity 3

Raphael nicely avoids many of the confusions by introducing a refined version of the complementarity principle, the so-called observer complementarity… If I add some “foundations of quantum mechanics” flavor to the principle, it says:

Quantum mechanics is a set of rules that allows an observer to predict, explain, and/or verify observations (and especially their mutual relationships) that he has access to.

An observer has access to a causal diamond – the intersection of the future light cone of the initial moment of his world line and the past light cone of the final moment of his world line (the latter, the final moment before which one must be able to collect the data, is more important in this discussion).

No observer can detect inconsistencies within the causal diamonds. However, inconsistencies between “stories” as told by different observers with different causal diamonds are allowed (and mildly encouraged) in general (as long as there is no observer who could incorporate all the data needed to see an inconsistency).

Bohr has said that physics is about the right things we can say about the real world, not about objective reality, and it has to be internally consistent. However, in the context of general relativity, the internal consistency doesn’t imply that there has to be a “global viewpoint” or “objective reality” that is valid for everyone.

— Raphael Bousso is right about firewalls

— Lubos Motl

2016.07.27 Wednesday ACHK

# Single-world interpretation, 6.2.3

You are still in a superposition after the so-called “collapse”. The unchosen choice is still in the definition of “you”.

— Me@2012-04-08 1:21:55 PM

# Quantum observer 1.3

Principle of Least Action, 7

If your consciousness do not see the superposition directly, you would not have been seeing the least action paths in the macroscopic world all the time.

— Me@2012.04.08

# Consistent histories, 5

consistent histories ~ quantum decoherence

— Me@2012.04.08

# Logical Fatalism

Logical Fatalism and the Argument from Bivalence

Another famous argument for fatalism that goes back to antiquity is one that depends not on causation or physical circumstances but rather is based on presumed logical truths.

The key idea of logical fatalism is that there is a body of true propositions (statements) about what is going to happen, and these are true regardless of when they are made. So, for example, if it is true today that tomorrow there will be a sea battle, then there cannot fail to be a sea battle tomorrow, since otherwise it would not be true today that such a battle will take place tomorrow.

The argument relies heavily on the principle of bivalence: the idea that any proposition is either true or false. As a result of this principle, if it is not false that there will be a sea battle, then it is true; there is no in-between. However, rejecting the principle of bivalence—perhaps by saying that the truth of a proposition regarding the future is indeterminate—is a controversial view since the principle is an accepted part of classical logic.

— Wikipedia on Fatalism

Quantum superposition can solve logical fatalism:

Macroscopic time is due to quantum decoherence.

The future is a coherent (constant phase difference) superposition of eigenstates.

That’s why classical probability can be regarded as part of quantum theory.

Quantum decoherence gives classically consistent histories.

— Me@2012.04.08

— Me@2015.03.26