Causality, quantum theory and cosmology
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
zbMATH Open document ID: 1269.83071
publication date: 2012-09-05T00:00:00Z
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83F05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83C60
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83C75
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83C45
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 53Z05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 81T20
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 83E05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 85A40
zbMATH DE Number: 6077670
zbMATH Keywords: conformal cyclic cosmology (CCC)
zbMATH Keywords: big bang
zbMATH Keywords: Weyl curvature hypothesis (WCH)
zbMATH Keywords: conformal geometry
zbMATH Keywords: conformal boundaries
zbMATH Keywords: spin-networks
zbMATH Keywords: twistors
zbMATH Keywords: quantum gravity
zbMATH Keywords: quantum fluctuation
MaRDI profile type: MaRDI publication profile
author: Roger Penrose
title: Causality, quantum theory and cosmology
review text: Most what one finds in this article Penrose had already described more elaborately in his former papers and books. However, in this very well readable review text using only a minimum of mathematical formulae, it becomes particularly clear that, in the author's mind, there is an internal connection between such different topics as quantum theory, twistor theory, thermodynamics, general relativity, singular general-relativistic cosmological model, singularity theorems, conformal space-time geometry etc. In the decades of his creative activity, when he delivered fundamental contributions to many of these themes, this conviction took a form that one can call Penrose's physical worldview. This worldview has a great degree of plausibility if one is ready to accept the presuppositions made by Penrose. His major assumption consists in that the development of local physics (in the sense of laboratory physics and astrophysics) should essentially be directed by cosmological and black hole considerations and speculations.NEWLINENEWLINE After some introduction to general relativity and quantum mechanics, the author turns to the relation between general relativity and quantum theory and explains why space-time must take on some quantum-mechanic features such that quantum and general relativity theories must be unified. He stresses that it is his strong opinion that the result of this unification has to differ fundamentally from standard quantum field theory, mainly because he sees some paradoxes in the application of strict quantum rules if they are applied indiscriminately at all levels. He expects ``changes in quantum theory at stages where principles of general relativity and observational aspects of the Universe (via thermodynamics) begin to have serious relevance''. As to the generally accepted reason for founding a theory of quantum gravity saying that one could avoid the singularities this way, he states (and gives later specific arguments in favor of his opinion) that it…
reviewed by: Horst-Heino von Borzeszkowski
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6077670