The Xerographic Distribution: Scientific Reasoning in a Large Universe

6th International Symposium on Quantum Theory and Symmetries

Srednicki, Mark^1 ; Hartle, James^1

Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, United States^1

关键词: Basic theory;    Future observations;    Physical systems;    Scientific reasoning;    Spacetime;    Toy models;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/462/1/012050/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/462/1/012050

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

As observers of the universe we are physical systems within it. If the universe is very large in space and/or time, the probability becomes significant that the data on which we base predictions is replicated at other locations in spacetime. Predictions of our future observations therefore require an assumed probability distribution - the xerographic distribution - for our location among the possible ones. It is the combination of basic theory plus the xerographic distribution that can be predictive and testable by further observations. This is illustrated by examining a toy model of a classical deterministic universe with a fixed flat metric.