Gao, Shan (2025) Does the Universe Split Everywhere at Once? Rethinking Branching and Nonlocality in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. [Preprint]
This is the latest version of this item.
![[img]](https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
branching 2025.pdf Download (236kB) |
Abstract
The nature of branching in the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum mechanics remains an open question, particularly regarding its locality and compatibility with special relativity. This paper challenges the conventional view that branching is either global or local, demonstrating instead that it is nonlocal for entangled systems. Through a new analysis of the EPR-Bohm experiment, I argue that global branching has several potential issues and can hardly be justified. At the same time, I argue that branching cannot be entirely local, as entangled particles exhibit simultaneous, spacelike-separated branching, manifesting an apparent action at a distance within individual worlds. However, while nonlocal branching suggests the emergence of a preferred Lorentz frame within each world, the multiverse as a whole retains full Lorentz invariance, ensuring no superluminal signaling. By refining the ontology of branching and resolving tensions between MWI and relativistic constraints, this analysis may help advance our understanding of quantum nonlocality and also strengthen MWI's standing as a viable interpretation of quantum mechanics.
| Export/Citation: | EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL |
| Social Networking: |
| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creators: |
|
||||||
| Keywords: | quantum mechanics; many-worlds interpretation; global branching; local branching; nonlocal branching; action at a distance; special relativity | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
||||||
| Depositing User: | Prof. Shan Gao | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 17 Feb 2025 13:47 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 17 Feb 2025 13:47 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 24763 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
||||||
| Date: | 17 February 2025 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24763 |
Available Versions of this Item
-
Understanding Branching in the Many-worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. (deposited 24 Jul 2024 15:30)
- Does the Universe Split Everywhere at Once? Rethinking Branching and Nonlocality in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. (deposited 17 Feb 2025 13:47) [Currently Displayed]
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/style/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}