Is the Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's It from Bit?

In summary, physicist Andrei Linde discusses Wheeler-DeWitt equation and its relation to Wheeler's participatory universe and law without law concepts. There is no direct relation, but articles and sites that seem to establish a relation may not be convincing.
  • #1
Suekdccia
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TL;DR Summary
Is Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's It from Bit, Participatory Universe and Law Without Law concepts?
In this article: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0211048.pdf by physicist Andrei Linde, it mentions Wheeler-DeWitt equation and he relates it to Wheeler's Participatory Universe model.

Also, I found other sources that seem to establish a connection between Wheeler-DeWitt equation and Wheeler's It from Bit/pregeometric Law Without Law hypotheses

(https://hiup.org/spacetime-as-information-an-ordering-principle-for-living-systems/
and
http://inspirehep.net/record/1395529/files/A.Friedmann_287-304.pdf)

So, Is Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's It from Bit, Participatory Universe and Law Without Law concepts? Can Wheeler-DeWitt describe universes based on these concepts?
 
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  • #2
Suekdccia said:
Summary: Is Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's It from Bit, Participatory Universe and Law Without Law concepts?

So, Is Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's It from Bit, Participatory Universe and Law Without Law concepts?
There is no direct relation.
 
  • #3
Demystifier said:
There is no direct relation.

What about the articles and sites I mention that seem to establish a relation?
 
  • #4
Suekdccia said:
What about the articles and sites I mention that seem to establish a relation?
I didn't carefully studied them, but at a first look those arguments don't look convincing to me. If you want me to analyze some of those arguments more closely, it would help if you could copy-paste what you think to be the central point of the argument.
 
  • #5
Demystifier said:
I didn't carefully studied them, but at a first look those arguments don't look convincing to me. If you want me to analyze some of those arguments more closely, it would help if you could copy-paste what you think to be the central point of the argument.

For example in this article by physicist Andre Linde (https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0211048.pdf), it says...

"For example, the essence of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation (DeWitt, 1967), which is the Schrödinger equation for the wave function of the universe, is that this wave function does not depend on time (...)
Thus we see that without introducing an observer, we have a dead universe, which does not evolve in time. This example demonstrates an unusually important role played by the concept of an observer in quantum cosmology. John Wheeler underscored the complexity of the situation, replacing the word observer by the word participant, and introducing such terms as a ‘self-observing universe
"

This seems to indicate a direct relation (between Wheeler-DeWitt equation and Wheeler's participatory universe, and thus, with Wheeler's It from Bit and Law Without Law/Pregeometry/Geometrodynamics concepts)
 
  • #6
Suekdccia said:
For example in this article by physicist Andre Linde (https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0211048.pdf), it says...

"For example, the essence of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation (DeWitt, 1967), which is the Schrödinger equation for the wave function of the universe, is that this wave function does not depend on time (...)
Thus we see that without introducing an observer, we have a dead universe, which does not evolve in time. This example demonstrates an unusually important role played by the concept of an observer in quantum cosmology. John Wheeler underscored the complexity of the situation, replacing the word observer by the word participant, and introducing such terms as a ‘self-observing universe
"

This seems to indicate a direct relation (between Wheeler-DeWitt equation and Wheeler's participatory universe, and thus, with Wheeler's It from Bit and Law Without Law/Pregeometry/Geometrodynamics concepts)
There are many other interpretations of QM that add time to systems described by the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. See my https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.08341 Sec. 5.2.
 
  • #7
Demystifier said:
There are many other interpretations of QM that add time to systems described by the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. See my https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.08341 Sec. 5.2.

I suppose so... But my main question was aimed to that particular interpretation (Wheeler's Participatory Universe)...

So, could you confirm me that, although there are lots of other interpretations that can be applied to systems described by Wheeler-DeWitt equation, Wheeler's Participatory Universe Interpretation can be applied as well to this equation? I mean, since Wheeler himself connected his idea of the Participatory Universe to Wheeler-DeWitt equation (as Linde's article says), wouldn't that mean that this interpretation/idea could be applied to systems described by Wheeler-DeWitt equations?

Interesting article by the way!
 
  • #8
Suekdccia said:
So, could you confirm me that, although there are lots of other interpretations that can be applied to systems described by Wheeler-DeWitt equation, Wheeler's Participatory Universe Interpretation can be applied as well to this equation?
Yes, I can confirm it.

Suekdccia said:
Interesting article by the way!
You mean the one I linked? Thanks! :smile:
 
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1. What is the Wheeler-DeWitt equation?

The Wheeler-DeWitt equation is a mathematical equation proposed by physicists John Archibald Wheeler and Bryce DeWitt in the 1960s. It is a fundamental equation in quantum gravity that attempts to unify the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics.

2. How is the Wheeler-DeWitt equation related to Wheeler's "It from Bit" concept?

Wheeler's "It from Bit" concept proposes that the universe is fundamentally made up of information. The Wheeler-DeWitt equation is seen as a physical manifestation of this concept, as it describes how the universe evolves in terms of information rather than physical quantities.

3. Is the Wheeler-DeWitt equation a proven theory?

No, the Wheeler-DeWitt equation is still a theoretical concept and has not been proven. It is a subject of ongoing research and debate in the field of quantum gravity.

4. How does the Wheeler-DeWitt equation differ from other equations in physics?

The Wheeler-DeWitt equation is unique in that it does not involve time as a variable. This is because it is attempting to unify the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, which have different understandings of time. It also incorporates the concept of information, which is not typically included in other physical equations.

5. What implications does the Wheeler-DeWitt equation have for our understanding of the universe?

The Wheeler-DeWitt equation has significant implications for our understanding of the universe, as it attempts to unify two of the most fundamental theories in physics. It also challenges our traditional notions of time and matter, and suggests that the universe is fundamentally made up of information rather than physical particles.

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