The inevitable nonlinearity of quantum gravity falsifies the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics

TL;DR

This paper argues that the inherent nonlinearity of quantum gravity at the Planck scale causes wave-function collapse, thereby falsifying the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a nonlinear quantum theory derived from quantum gravity principles, demonstrating how nonlinearity induces wave-function collapse and challenges the many-worlds view.

Findings

Nonlinearity becomes significant at the Planck scale.

Wave-function collapse is dynamically induced by nonlinearity.

The many-worlds interpretation is falsified by this nonlinearity.

Abstract

There are fundamental reasons as to why there should exist a reformulation of quantum mechanics which does not refer to a classical spacetime manifold. It follows as a consequence that quantum mechanics as we know it is a limiting case of a more general nonlinear quantum theory, with the nonlinearity becoming significant at the Planck mass/energy scale. This nonlinearity is responsible for a dynamically induced collapse of the wave-function, during a quantum measurement, and it hence falsifies the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. We illustrate this conclusion using a mathematical model based on a generalized Doebner-Goldin equation. The non-Hermitian part of the Hamiltonian in this norm-preserving, nonlinear, Schrodinger equation dominates during a quantum measurement, and leads to a breakdown of linear superposition.