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PaperEmQM13 – Physics on the Boundary between Classical and Quantum Mechanics
Gerard ’t Hooft, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science of Utrecht University, NLAbstract
Quantum Mechanics and Classical mechanics are usually regarded as mutually exclusive: a system is presumed to be either quantum mechanical or classical but never both. Here, however, we show that theories that are both do exist — there is life on the boundary. These theories allow for dual mappings between a classical picture and a quantum one; they both describe the same time evolution equally well. There are some simple examples, but also quite contrived ones, such as superstring theory.
Quantum Mechanics and Classical mechanics are usually regarded as mutually exclusive: a system is presumed to be either quantum mechanical or classical but never both. Here, however, we show that theories that are both do exist — there is life on the boundary. These theories allow for dual mappings between a classical picture and a quantum one; they both describe the same time evolution equally well. There are some simple examples, but also quite contrived ones, such as superstring theory.