The Info-Computation Turn in Physics
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2018 March Meeting Program Guide
MARCHMEETING2018 LOS ANGELES MARCH 5-9 PROGRAM GUIDE #apsmarch aps.org/meetingapp aps.org/meetings/march Senior Editor: Arup Chakraborty Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT Now welcoming submissions in the Physics of Living Systems Submit your best work at elifesci.org/physics-living-systems Image: D. Bonazzi (CC BY 2.0) Led by Senior Editor Arup Chakraborty, this dedicated new section of the open-access journal eLife welcomes studies in which experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches rooted in the physical sciences are developed and/or applied to provide deep insights into the collective properties and function of multicomponent biological systems and processes. eLife publishes groundbreaking research in the life and biomedical sciences. All decisions are made by working scientists. WELCOME t is a pleasure to welcome you to Los Angeles and to the APS March I Meeting 2018. As has become a tradition, the March Meeting is a spectacular gathering of an enthusiastic group of scientists from diverse organizations and backgrounds who have broad interests in physics. This meeting provides us an opportunity to present exciting new work as well as to learn from others, and to meet up with colleagues and make new friends. While you are here, I encourage you to take every opportunity to experience the amazing science that envelops us at the meeting, and to enjoy the many additional professional and social gatherings offered. Additionally, this is a year for Strategic Planning for APS, when the membership will consider the evolving mission of APS and where we want to go as a society. -
Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1509 Edited by G
Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1509 Edited by G. Goos, J. Hartmanis and J. van Leeuwen 3 Berlin Heidelberg New York Barcelona Hong Kong London Milan Paris Singapore Tokyo Colin P. Williams (Ed.) Quantum Computing and Quantum Communications First NASA International Conference, QCQC’98 Palm Springs, California, USA February 17-20, 1998 Selected Papers 13 Series Editors Gerhard Goos, Karlsruhe University, Germany Juris Hartmanis, Cornell University, NY, USA Jan van Leeuwen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Volume Editor Colin P. Williams Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Quantum Algorithms and Technologies Group Information and Computing Technologies Research Section Mail Stop 126-347, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA E-mail: [email protected] Cataloging-in-Publication data applied for Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Quantum computing and quantum communications : first NASA international conference ; selected papers / QCQC’98, Palm Springs, California, USA, February 17 - 20, 1998. Colin P. Williams (ed.). - Berlin ; Heidelberg ; New York ; Barcelona ; Hong Kong ; London ; Milan ; Paris ; Singapore ; Tokyo : Springer, 1999 (Lecture notes in computer science ; Vol. 1509) ISBN 3-540-65514-X CR Subject Classification (1998): F.1, E.3, E.4, F.2 ISSN 0302-9743 ISBN 3-540-65514-X Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. -
Calculating Space) 1St
Konrad Zuse’s Rechnender Raum (Calculating Space) 1st. re-edition1 written in LATEX by A. German and H. Zenil As published in A Computable Universe: Understanding & Exploring Nature as Computation, World Scientific, 2012 Painting by Konrad Zuse (under the pseudonym “Kuno See”). Followed by an Afterword by Adrian German and Hector Zenil 2 1with kind permission by all parties involved, including MIT and Zuse’s family. 2The views expressed in the afterword do not represent the views of those organisations with which the authors are affiliated. 1 Calculating Space (“Rechnender Raum”)z Konrad Zuse Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS 3 2.1 Concerning the Theory of Automatons . .3 2.2 About Computers . .5 2.3 Differential Equations from the Point of View of the Automa- ton Theory . .8 2.4 Maxwell Equations . 10 2.5 An Idea about Gravitation . 13 2.6 Differential Equations and Difference Equations, Digitalization 13 2.7 Automaton Theory Observations of Physical Theories . 14 3 EXAMPLES OF DIGITAL TREATMENT OF FIELDS AND PARTICLES 19 3.1 The Expression “Digital Particle” . 19 3.2 Two-Dimensional Systems . 27 3.3 Digital Particles in Two-Dimensional Space . 30 3.4 Concerning Three-Dimensional Systems . 34 4 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 37 4.1 Cellular Automatons . 37 4.2 Digital Particles and Cellular Automatons . 39 4.3 On the Theory of Relativity . 39 zSchriften zur Datenverarbeitung, Vol. 1, 1969 Friedrich Vieweg & Sohn, Braun- schweig, 74 pp. MIT Technical TranslationTranslated for Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, Project MAC, by: Aztec School of Languages, Inc., Research Translation Division (164), Maynard, Massachusetts and McLean, Virginia AZT-70-164-GEMIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Project MAC, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139—February 1970 2 4.4 Considerations of Information Theory . -
Quantum Mechanics Digital Physics
Quantum Mechanics_digital physics In physics and cosmology, digital physics is a collection of theoretical perspectives based on the premise that the universe is, at heart, describable byinformation, and is therefore computable. Therefore, according to this theory, the universe can be conceived of as either the output of a deterministic or probabilistic computer program, a vast, digital computation device, or mathematically isomorphic to such a device. Digital physics is grounded in one or more of the following hypotheses; listed in order of decreasing strength. The universe, or reality: is essentially informational (although not every informational ontology needs to be digital) is essentially computable (the pancomputationalist position) can be described digitally is in essence digital is itself a computer (pancomputationalism) is the output of a simulated reality exercise History Every computer must be compatible with the principles of information theory,statistical thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. A fundamental link among these fields was proposed by Edwin Jaynes in two seminal 1957 papers.[1]Moreover, Jaynes elaborated an interpretation of probability theory as generalized Aristotelian logic, a view very convenient for linking fundamental physics withdigital computers, because these are designed to implement the operations ofclassical logic and, equivalently, of Boolean algebra.[2] The hypothesis that the universe is a digital computer was pioneered by Konrad Zuse in his book Rechnender Raum (translated into English as Calculating Space). The term digital physics was first employed by Edward Fredkin, who later came to prefer the term digital philosophy.[3] Others who have modeled the universe as a giant computer include Stephen Wolfram,[4] Juergen Schmidhuber,[5] and Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft.[6] These authors hold that the apparentlyprobabilistic nature of quantum physics is not necessarily incompatible with the notion of computability. -
Rolf Landauer Was Born in Stuttgart, Germany, to Karl and Anna Landauer on February 4, 1927
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES R O L F W . L ANDAUE R 1 9 2 7 — 1 9 9 9 A Biographical Memoir by CHA R LES H. BENNETT AND ALAN B. FO W LE R Any opinions expressed in this memoir are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences. Biographical Memoir COPYRIGHT 2009 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WASHINGTON, D.C. ROLF W. LANDAUER February 4, 1927–April 27, 1999 BY CHARLES H . BENNETT AND ALAN B . FO W LE R OLF W. LANDAUER IS REMEMBERED for wide-ranging contri- Rbutions to mesoscopic condensed matter and statistical physics, especially the theory of conductivity of disordered media (as described by Landauer’s formula) and for discov- ering the fundamental law (Landauer’s principle) governing the thermodynamics of information processing by physical systems. He is also remembered as an outstanding scientific and technical manager of IBM’s Watson Research Laboratory, guiding it from relative obscurity to become by 1970 one of the world’s two most important and innovative engineering and scientific laboratories. Rolf Landauer was born in Stuttgart, Germany, to Karl and Anna Landauer on February 4, 1927. Until Hitler had consolidated power Rolf lived in a prosperous, assimilated Jewish family. His father, a successful architect and builder, had been severely wounded while serving the kaiser in the First World War, in which he earned an Iron Cross, and was an ardent German nationalist. He eventually died of war wounds in 194, after Hitler’s accession to power, still believing that Nazi rule was just a temporary aberration. -
Introducing the Computable Universe
Introducing the Computable Universe∗ Hector Zenil Department of Computer Science, The University of Sheffield, UK; IHPST (Paris 1 Panth´eon-Sorbonne/ENS Ulm/CNRS), France; & Wolfram Science Group, Wolfram Research, USA. Abstract Some contemporary views of the universe assume information and computation to be key in understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. We introduce the Computable Universe exploring some of the basic arguments giving foundation to these visions. We will focus on the algorithmic and quantum aspects, and how these may fit and support the computable universe hypoth- esis. 1 Understanding Computation & Exploring Nature As Computation Since the days of Newton and Leibniz, scientists have been constructing elab- arXiv:1206.0376v1 [cs.IT] 2 Jun 2012 orate views of the world. In the past century, quantum mechanics revolu- tionised our understanding of physical reality at atomic scales, while general relativity did the same for our understanding of reality at large scales. Some contemporary world views approach objects and physical laws in terms of information and computation [25], to which they assign ultimate responsibility for the complexity in our world, including responsibility for complex mechanisms and phenomena such as life. In this view, the universe ∗Based in the introduction to A Computable Universe, published by World Scientific Publishing Company and the Imperial College Press, 2012. See http://www.mathrix.org/experimentalAIT/ComputationNature.htm 1 and the things in it are seen as computing themselves. Our computers do no more than re-program a part of the universe to make it compute what we want it to compute. Some authors have extended the definition of computation to physical objects and physical processes at different levels of physical reality, ranging from the digital to the quantum. -
INFORMATION– CONSCIOUSNESS– REALITY How a New Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence the FRONTIERS COLLECTION
THE FRONTIERS COLLECTION James B. Glattfelder INFORMATION– CONSCIOUSNESS– REALITY How a New Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence THE FRONTIERS COLLECTION Series editors Avshalom C. Elitzur, Iyar, Israel Institute of Advanced Research, Rehovot, Israel Zeeya Merali, Foundational Questions Institute, Decatur, GA, USA Thanu Padmanabhan, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, India Maximilian Schlosshauer, Department of Physics, University of Portland, Portland, OR, USA Mark P. Silverman, Department of Physics, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA Jack A. Tuszynski, Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada Rüdiger Vaas, Redaktion Astronomie, Physik, bild der wissenschaft, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany THE FRONTIERS COLLECTION The books in this collection are devoted to challenging and open problems at the forefront of modern science and scholarship, including related philosophical debates. In contrast to typical research monographs, however, they strive to present their topics in a manner accessible also to scientifically literate non-specialists wishing to gain insight into the deeper implications and fascinating questions involved. Taken as a whole, the series reflects the need for a fundamental and interdisciplinary approach to modern science and research. Furthermore, it is intended to encourage active academics in all fields to ponder over important and perhaps controversial issues beyond their own speciality. Extending from quantum physics and relativity to entropy, conscious- ness, language and complex systems—the Frontiers Collection will inspire readers to push back the frontiers of their own knowledge. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/5342 For a full list of published titles, please see back of book or springer.com/series/5342 James B. -
Toward a Computational Theory of Everything
International Journal of Recent Advances in Physics (IJRAP) Vol.9, No.1/2/3, August 2020 TOWARD A COMPUTATIONAL THEORY OF EVERYTHING Ediho Lokanga A faculty member of EUCLID (Euclid University). Tipton, United Kingdom HIGHLIGHTS . This paper proposes the computational theory of everything (CToE) as an alternative to string theory (ST), and loop quantum gravity (LQG) in the quest for a theory of quantum gravity and the theory of everything. A review is presented on the development of some of the fundamental ideas of quantum gravity and the ToE, with an emphasis on ST and LQG. Their strengths, successes, achievements, and open challenges are presented and summarized. The results of the investigation revealed that ST has not so far stood up to scientific experimental scrutiny. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a contender for a ToE. LQG or ST is either incomplete or simply poorly understood. Each of the theories or approaches has achieved notable successes. To achieve the dream of a theory of gravity and a ToE, we may need to develop a new approach that combines the virtues of these two theories and information. The physics of information and computation may be the missing link or paradigm as it brings new recommendations and alternate points of view to each of these theories. ABSTRACT The search for a comprehensive theory of quantum gravity (QG) and the theory of everything (ToE) is an ongoing process. Among the plethora of theories, some of the leading ones are string theory and loop quantum gravity. The present article focuses on the computational theory of everything (CToE). -
FOOTPRINTS of GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY Aleksandar Malecic Faculty of Electronic Engineering University of Nis, Serbia Aleks.Maleci
FOOTPRINTS OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY Aleksandar Malecic Faculty of Electronic Engineering University of Nis, Serbia [email protected] ABSTRACT In order to identify General Systems Theory (GST) or at least have a fuzzy idea of what it might look like, we shall look for its traces on different systems. We shall try to identify such an “animal” by its “footprints”. First we mention some natural and artificial systems relevant for our search, than note the work of other people within cybernetics and identification of systems, and after that we are focused on what unification of different systems approaches and scientific disciplines should take into account (and whether or not it is possible). Axioms and principles are mentioned as an illustration of how to look for GST*. A related but still separate section is about Len Troncale and linkage propositions. After them there is another overview of different kinds of systems (life, consciousness, and physics). The documentary film Dangerous Knowledge and ideas of its characters Georg Cantor, Ludwig Boltzmann, Kurt Gödel, and Alan Turing are analyzed through systems worldview. “Patterns all the way down” and similar ideas by different authors are elaborated and followed by a section on Daniel Dennett’s approach to real patterns. Two following sections are dedicated to Brian Josephson (a structural theory of everything) and Sunny Auyang. After that the author writes about cosmogony, archetypes, myths, and dogmas. The paper ends with a candidate for GST*. Keywords: General Systems Theory, unification, patterns, principles, linkage propositions SYSTEMS IN NATURE AND ENGINEERING The footprints manifest as phenomena and scientific disciplines. -
The Use of Interdisciplinary Approach for the Formation of Learners’ Situational Interest in Physics
Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 5, p.1 (Dec., 2017) Igor KORSUN The use of interdisciplinary approach for the formation of learners’ situational interest in Physics The use of interdisciplinary approach for the formation of learners’ situational interest in Physics Igor KORSUN Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, UKRAINE E-mail: [email protected] Received 18 Jan., 2017 Revised 11 Dec., 2017 Contents Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion Conclusion References Appendices Abstract The aim of this article is to prove the advisability of using the interdisciplinary approach for the formation of learners’ situational interest in physics. The general method of using the interdisciplinary approach in physics teaching has been created. The study of new material, the formation of abilities and skills, and the work on projects are the forms of the interdisciplinary links in physics teaching. The scheme for interest formation towards physics in the context of development of situational and individual interest has been analyzed. According to the interdisciplinary approach, the tools for the formation of learners’ situational interest in physics have Copyright (C) 2017 EdUHK APFSLT. Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 5 (Dec., 2017). All Rights Reserved. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 5, p.2 (Dec., 2017) Igor KORSUN The use of interdisciplinary approach for the formation of learners’ situational interest in Physics been allocated. These are phenomena of nature, phenomena of everyday life, link between theory and practice. The results showed that interdisciplinary approach in physics teaching increases the level of learners’ situational interest. -
Creating an Active-Learning Environment in an Introductory Acoustics Course
Creating an active-learning environment in an introductory acoustics course Tracianne B. Neilsen,a) William J. Strong, Brian E. Anderson, Kent L. Gee, Scott D. Sommerfeldt, and Timothy W. Leishman Acoustics Research Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, N283 ESC, Provo, Utah 84602 (Received 18 April 2011; accepted 1 May 2011) Research in physics education has indicated that the traditional lecture-style class is not the most ef- ficient way to teach introductory physical science courses at the university level. Current best teach- ing practices focus on creating an active-learning environment and emphasize the students’ role in the learning process. Several of the recommended techniques have recently been applied to Brig- ham Young University’s introductory acoustics course, which has been taught for more than 40 years. Adjustments have been built on a foundation of establishing student-based learning outcomes and attempting to align these objectives with assessments and course activities. Improvements have been made to nearly every aspect of the course including use of class time, assessment materials, and time the students spend out of the classroom. A description of the progress made in improving the course offers suggestions for those seeking to modernize or create a similar course at their insti- tution. In addition, many of the principles can be similarly applied to acoustics education at other academic levels. VC 2012 Acoustical Society of America. [DOI: 10.1121/1.3676733] PACS number(s): 43.10.Sv [ADP] Pages: 2500–2509 I. INTRODUCTION tual understanding that serves as a foundation for more advanced courses in acoustics. -
Digital Mechanics
Working Draft Do not Circulate Working Draft Digital Mechanics Edward Fredkin Carnegie Mellon University Digital Mechanics DM-Book5c.doc 1 © December, 2000 Ed Fredkin Moskito Island, BVI Working Draft Do not Circulate Working Draft Preface The Amazing Glorious Gift Somehow, when I was still a child, I was given a wondrous gift. I don’t know how or why; I didn’t even understand or appreciate it for decades. Neither did I realize that, apparently, this gift was given only to me. As the vast implications began to filter into my consciousness, my first reaction was to try to share my gift; but it was not to be. The pieces first started to fall into place some 20 years later, about 1960. Since then I have been able to glimpse and learn more and more about something unknown to others. Over many years this vision slowly transitioned from totally murky to almost clear in certain directions. Puzzling aspects have loomed like great glaciers, which only revealed their secrets as they quietly melted away. But still, even stranger than the Gift itself, is the fact that it has remained mine alone for all these years. I never ever thought to keep it a secret. In fact I sort ran to the rooftops and shouted to all who might listen "…maybe this is it, this could be how things work…" but no one has ever understood what I was trying to say. My reaction was always strange. I knew how beautiful it was yet I never had any concern for all those who couldn’t understand.