Emergent Quantum Mechanics and Emergent Symmetries

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum mechanics and fundamental symmetries like gauge invariance and general coordinate invariance can emerge from underlying deterministic theories, offering new insights into the universe's structure.

Contribution

It proposes that quantum operators and symmetries can be emergent phenomena from a locally deterministic framework, providing a novel perspective on gauge and coordinate invariance.

Findings

Quantum operators may emerge from deterministic systems.

Emergent symmetries include gauge invariance and coordinate transformations.

Potential implications for understanding the universe's flatness problem.

Abstract

Quantum mechanics is 'emergent' if a statistical treatment of large scale phenomena in a locally deterministic theory requires the use of quantum operators. These quantum operators may allow for symmetry transformations that are not present in the underlying deterministic system. Such theories allow for a natural explanation of the existence of gauge equivalence classes (gauge orbits), including the equivalence classes generated by general coordinate transformations. Thus, local gauge symmetries and general coordinate invariance could be emergent symmetries, and this might lead to new alleys towards understanding the flatness problem of the Universe.