A local and operational framework for the foundations of physics (Q2665890)

The author describes a framework based on locality (which refers that forces do not act at a distance, but through fields permeating spacetime) and operationalism (which refers to the measurement problems) for the foundation of physics utilizing monoidal category theory and partially ordered vector spaces. He calls it positive formalism. The positive formalism implements space-time locality in a manifest way and includes the notion of measurement in the quantum case. Classical field theory, quantum theory field theory are covered. Hamilton system on the classical and quantum level and symplectic field theory are discussed. Path integrals and transition amplitudes play a central role. Ideas from topological quantum theory are integrated. Quantum gravity is also discussed. Locality is added without a notion of metric tensor field by separating space-time into regions that are in communication through their boundaries. Section 8 looks at extensions on measurements in quantum theory for the positive formalism. Besides Bose quantum systems also Fermi systems are discussed. As an example quantum teleportation is discussed in detail. In an appendix the properties of partially ordered vector spaces are summarized.