While time is one of the most familiar yet mysterious dimensions of our existence, recent insights from quantum gravity reveal it may not be as fundamental as we think. This novel interdisciplinary research project investigates the emergence of time from chaotic structures in operator algebras, with implications for our understanding of quantum gravity, quantum cosmology, and physical law.
Through a synthesis of recent discoveries in mathematical physics, quantum gravity, and philosophy, our research investigates how time could arise from chaotic quantum systems described by operator algebras. The project is structured around three interconnected work packages:
The first explores how chaotic behavior in operator algebras gives rise to concepts of time. By studying algebraic chaos, we examine how different notions of time and spacetime symmetries emerge from abstract operator algebras, with applications to black hole physics and holographic theories.
The second investigates the emergence of time as experienced by observers near black hole singularities and cosmological spacetimes. This work develops mathematical tools incorporating quantum clocks into operator algebras, addressing fundamental questions about time perception in cosmological spacetimes. The research provides insights into how different observers experience time while maintaining consistency with quantum mechanics.
The third examines the philosophical implications of these findings for our understanding of time and physical laws. It investigates how time can emerge as a real feature without being fundamental, and explores how observer-dependent laws may arise naturally in quantum gravity.
This project brings together experts in quantum gravity, operator algebras, and philosophy of physics, enabling a novel approach to understanding the nature of time, with implications extending from quantum gravity to our philosophical understanding of reality.
