Skip to main content
Log in

Born Reciprocity and the Granularity of Spacetime

  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Letters

Abstract

The Schrödinger-Robertson inequality for relativistic position and momentum operators X μ, P ν, μ, ν = 0, 1, 2, 3, is interpreted in terms of Born reciprocity and ‘non-commutative’ relativistic position-momentum space geometry. For states which saturate the Schrödinger-Robertson inequality, a typology of semiclassical limits is pointed out, characterised by the orbit structure within its unitary irreducible representations, of the full invariance group of Born reciprocity, the so-called ‘quaplectic’ group U(3, 1) #x2297;s H(3, 1) (the semi-direct product of the unitary relativistic dynamical symmetry U(3, 1) with the Weyl-Heisenberg group H(3, 1)). The example of the ‘scalar’ case, namely the relativistic oscillator, and associated multimode squeezed states, is treated in detail. In this case, it is suggested that the semiclassical limit corresponds to the separate emergence of spacetime and matter, in the form of the stress-energy tensor, and the quadrupole tensor, which are in general reciprocally equivalent.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. 1. X. Bekaert and N. Boulanger, “Mixed symmetry gauge fields in a flat background,” hep-th/0310209, Talk given at the International Workshop on Supersymmetries and Quantum Symmetries (SQS03), Dubna, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  2. 2. M. Born, “Elementary particles and the principle of reciprocity,” Nature 163, 207–208 (February 1949).

    MATH  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. 3. M. Born, “Reciprocity theory of elementary particles,” Rev. Mod. Phys. 21(3), 463–473 (July 1949).

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. 4. A Connes, Noncommutative Geometry (Academic, New York, 1994).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. 5. P A M Dirac, “Unitary representations of the Lorentz group,” Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) A 183, 284 (1945).

    ADS  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. 6. G. B. Folland, Harmonic Analysis on Phase Space (University Press, Princeton, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  7. 7. H. S. Green, “Quantized field theories and the principle of reciprocity,” Nature 163, 208–9 (February 1949).

    MATH  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. 8. Y. S. Kim and M. E. Noz, Phase Space Picture of Quantum Mechanics: Group Theoretical Approach (World Scientific, Singapore, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  9. 9. Stephen G. Low, “Representations of the canonical group, (the semidirect product of the unitary and Weyl-Heisenberg groups), acting as a dynamical group on noncommutative extended phase space,” J. Phys. A 35, 5711–5729 (2002).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. 10. Stephen G. Low, “Poincaré and Heisenberg quantum dynamical symmetry: Casimir invariant field equations of the quaplectic group,” math-ph/0502018, 2005.

  11. 11. Stephen G. Low, “Reciprocal relativity of noninertial frames and the quaplectic group,” Found. Phys. 36 (7) (2006); math-ph/0506031, 2005.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. 12. S. Majid, “Hopf algebras for physics at the Planck scale,” Class. Quant. Grav. 5, 1587–1606 (1993).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. 13. H. R. Robertson, “An indeterminacy relation for several observables and its classical interpretation,” Phys. Rev. 46, 794 (1934).

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. 14. E. Schrödinger, Sitzungsber. Preuss. Acad. Wiss. 24, 296 (1930).

    Google Scholar 

  15. 15. J. L. Synge, “Geometrical approach to the Heisenberg uncertainty relation and its generalisation,” Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A 325, 151–156 (1971).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. 16. D. A. Trifonov, “Robertson intelligent states,” J. Phys. A 30, 594 (1997).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. 17. V. G. Turaev, “Algebras of loops on surfaces, algebras of knots, and quantisation,” in C. N. Yang and M. L. Ge, eds., Braid Group, Knot Theory and Statistical Mechanics (World Scientific, Singapore, 1991), pp. 59–95.

    Google Scholar 

  18. 18. J. Williamson, “On the algebraic problem concerning the normal forms of linear dynamical systems,” Am. J. Math. 58, 141 (1936).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  19. 19. J. A. Wolf, “Representations of certain semidirect product groups,” J. Func. Anal. 19, 339–372 (1975).

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. D. Jarvis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jarvis, P., Morgan, S. Born Reciprocity and the Granularity of Spacetime. Found Phys Lett 19, 501–517 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10702-006-1006-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10702-006-1006-5

Key words:

Navigation