The relativity of indeterminacy

TL;DR

This paper argues that indeterminacy in physics can coexist with relativity, challenging the block-universe view by proposing that indeterminacy is relational and compatible with relativistic principles.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that fundamental indeterminacy should be seen as a relational property in relativistic contexts, countering the traditional block-universe perspective.

Findings

Indeterminacy can be compatible with relativity under certain principles.

Relational properties of indeterminacy are significant in classical and quantum scenarios.

Challenges the view that relativity implies deterministic universe.

Abstract

A long-standing tradition, largely present in both the physical and the philosophical literature, regards the advent of (special) relativity -- with its block-universe picture -- as the failure of any indeterministic program in physics. On the contrary, in this paper, we note that upholding reasonable principles of finiteness of information hints at a picture of the physical world that should be both relativistic and indeterministic. We thus rebut the block-universe picture by assuming that fundamental indeterminacy itself should as well be regarded as a relational property when considered in a relativistic scenario. We discuss the consequence that this view may have when correlated randomness is introduced, both in the classical case and in the quantum one.