{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2894178851","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","title":"Law without law: from observer states to physics via algorithmic information theory","display_name":"Law without law: from observer states to physics via algorithmic information theory","publication_year":2020,"publication_date":"2020-07-20","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2894178851","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","mag":"2894178851"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","pdf_url":"https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2020-07-20-301/pdf/","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210226432","display_name":"Quantum","issn_l":"2521-327X","issn":["2521-327X"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310317900","host_organization_name":"Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310317900"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Quantum","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["arxiv","crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2020-07-20-301/pdf/","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Markus P. M\u00fcller","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183974707","display_name":"Perimeter Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/013m0ej23","country_code":"CA","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183974707"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I138211613","display_name":"Austrian Academy of Sciences","ror":"https://ror.org/03anc3s24","country_code":"AT","type":"funder","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I138211613"]}],"countries":["AT","CA"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Markus P. M\u00fcller","raw_affiliation_strings":["Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Boltzmanngasse 3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria","Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5, Canada"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Boltzmanngasse 3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I138211613"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5, Canada","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183974707"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I138211613","https://openalex.org/I183974707"],"apc_list":{"value":200,"currency":"EUR","value_usd":215},"apc_paid":{"value":200,"currency":"EUR","value_usd":215},"fwci":4.6184,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":46,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.95646654,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":97,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":"4","issue":null,"first_page":"301","last_page":"301"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12002","display_name":"Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms","score":0.15199999511241913,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1703","display_name":"Computational Theory and Mathematics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12002","display_name":"Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms","score":0.15199999511241913,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1703","display_name":"Computational Theory and Mathematics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10622","display_name":"Quantum Mechanics and Applications","score":0.1282999962568283,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3107","display_name":"Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/31","display_name":"Physics and Astronomy"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10258","display_name":"Philosophy and Theoretical Science","score":0.06859999895095825,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/observer","display_name":"Observer (physics)","score":0.7756999731063843},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/physical-law","display_name":"Physical law","score":0.5910000205039978},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/probabilistic-logic","display_name":"Probabilistic logic","score":0.5848000049591064},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/perspective","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","score":0.5580000281333923},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/physical-system","display_name":"Physical system","score":0.5436999797821045},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/point","display_name":"Point (geometry)","score":0.4453999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/information-theory","display_name":"Information theory","score":0.3971000015735626},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/state","display_name":"State (computer science)","score":0.3871000111103058}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780704645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9251458","display_name":"Observer (physics)","level":2,"score":0.7756999731063843},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C194583477","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408891","display_name":"Physical law","level":2,"score":0.5910000205039978},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49937458","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2599292","display_name":"Probabilistic logic","level":2,"score":0.5848000049591064},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12713177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1900281","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","level":2,"score":0.5580000281333923},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C116672817","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1454986","display_name":"Physical system","level":2,"score":0.5436999797821045},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C28719098","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44946","display_name":"Point (geometry)","level":2,"score":0.4453999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.4129999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52622258","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131222","display_name":"Information theory","level":2,"score":0.3971000015735626},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48103436","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q599031","display_name":"State (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.3871000111103058},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148043351","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4456944","display_name":"Current (fluid)","level":2,"score":0.3801000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121864883","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q677916","display_name":"Statistical physics","level":1,"score":0.37860000133514404},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.3734000027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C29554801","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147027","display_name":"Thought experiment","level":2,"score":0.3594000041484833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144237770","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q747534","display_name":"Mathematical economics","level":1,"score":0.35679998993873596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33332235","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18362","display_name":"Theoretical physics","level":1,"score":0.34470000863075256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777686260","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q144037","display_name":"Calculus (dental)","level":2,"score":0.31349998712539673},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84114770","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q46344","display_name":"Quantum","level":2,"score":0.30550000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12426560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189569","display_name":"Basis (linear algebra)","level":2,"score":0.30379998683929443},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C47822265","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q854457","display_name":"Complex system","level":2,"score":0.29789999127388},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C99874945","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188715","display_name":"Statistical mechanics","level":2,"score":0.2928999960422516},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.2921999990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2865000069141388},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111806380","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q81745","display_name":"Classical physics","level":3,"score":0.2793000042438507},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C28901747","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q177571","display_name":"Decision theory","level":2,"score":0.257999986410141},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115047598","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54505","display_name":"Quantum field theory","level":2,"score":0.25279998779296875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138622882","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7269079","display_name":"Quantum nonlocality","level":4,"score":0.25130000710487366}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","pdf_url":"https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2020-07-20-301/pdf/","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210226432","display_name":"Quantum","issn_l":"2521-327X","issn":["2521-327X"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310317900","host_organization_name":"Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310317900"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Quantum","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:1712.01826","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/1712.01826","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.01826","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:2531123d45b44fd4ba635e213ae6a4a1","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/2531123d45b44fd4ba635e213ae6a4a1","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S112646816","display_name":"SHILAP Revista de lepidopterolog\u00eda","issn_l":"0300-5267","issn":["0300-5267","2340-4078"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-sa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-sa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Quantum, Vol 4, p 301 (2020)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2020-07-20-301","pdf_url":"https://quantum-journal.org/papers/q-2020-07-20-301/pdf/","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210226432","display_name":"Quantum","issn_l":"2521-327X","issn":["2521-327X"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310317900","host_organization_name":"Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310317900"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Verein zur F\u00f6rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Quantum","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W2894178851.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W2894178851.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":101,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1472049032","https://openalex.org/W1494994700","https://openalex.org/W1521316741","https://openalex.org/W1542027217","https://openalex.org/W1613786333","https://openalex.org/W1637763983","https://openalex.org/W1638203394","https://openalex.org/W1678579760","https://openalex.org/W1780553421","https://openalex.org/W1969021871","https://openalex.org/W1972290811","https://openalex.org/W1979697838","https://openalex.org/W1981403153","https://openalex.org/W1986293140","https://openalex.org/W1988371994","https://openalex.org/W1989113639","https://openalex.org/W1991449244","https://openalex.org/W1992392948","https://openalex.org/W1995702577","https://openalex.org/W1998660432","https://openalex.org/W2002993626","https://openalex.org/W2003198356","https://openalex.org/W2003706076","https://openalex.org/W2009590872","https://openalex.org/W2013391942","https://openalex.org/W2015179126","https://openalex.org/W2017365165","https://openalex.org/W2024802184","https://openalex.org/W2026796483","https://openalex.org/W2028815089","https://openalex.org/W2029308360","https://openalex.org/W2033216491","https://openalex.org/W2034864060","https://openalex.org/W2039772562","https://openalex.org/W2040109634","https://openalex.org/W2040628892","https://openalex.org/W2040794877","https://openalex.org/W2041288774","https://openalex.org/W2048376810","https://openalex.org/W2049312819","https://openalex.org/W2052476506","https://openalex.org/W2054966003","https://openalex.org/W2058302064","https://openalex.org/W2069974662","https://openalex.org/W2072290571","https://openalex.org/W2078963718","https://openalex.org/W2079928452","https://openalex.org/W2088731121","https://openalex.org/W2092857006","https://openalex.org/W2102039510","https://openalex.org/W2107623405","https://openalex.org/W2108732680","https://openalex.org/W2117762544","https://openalex.org/W2119210589","https://openalex.org/W2121741559","https://openalex.org/W2125082193","https://openalex.org/W2126160338","https://openalex.org/W2128006942","https://openalex.org/W2130823140","https://openalex.org/W2132450394","https://openalex.org/W2135830616","https://openalex.org/W2141674504","https://openalex.org/W2142045284","https://openalex.org/W2145750280","https://openalex.org/W2146387620","https://openalex.org/W2148079860","https://openalex.org/W2148132004","https://openalex.org/W2161120564","https://openalex.org/W2161316267","https://openalex.org/W2167153198","https://openalex.org/W2167301831","https://openalex.org/W2170909567","https://openalex.org/W2174298480","https://openalex.org/W2440539111","https://openalex.org/W2478708596","https://openalex.org/W2482203859","https://openalex.org/W2484545003","https://openalex.org/W2506210184","https://openalex.org/W2555418226","https://openalex.org/W2561422661","https://openalex.org/W2600106234","https://openalex.org/W2795641194","https://openalex.org/W2919050479","https://openalex.org/W2949798753","https://openalex.org/W2962804872","https://openalex.org/W2963715666","https://openalex.org/W2964287127","https://openalex.org/W2975527866","https://openalex.org/W3040996531","https://openalex.org/W3093654831","https://openalex.org/W3213108917","https://openalex.org/W4210427261","https://openalex.org/W4229552954","https://openalex.org/W4232632925","https://openalex.org/W4235405893","https://openalex.org/W4236546023","https://openalex.org/W4245657762","https://openalex.org/W4253200003","https://openalex.org/W4255724322","https://openalex.org/W4299577155","https://openalex.org/W4299655935"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"According":[0],"to":[1,13,68,81,181,197,204],"our":[2,71,172],"current":[3,72],"conception":[4],"of":[5,18,62,70,78,102,108,129,138,149,171,245,267,280],"physics,":[6],"any":[7,131],"valid":[8],"physical":[9,34,142,174],"theory":[10,167,227,269],"is":[11,26,113,145,210],"supposed":[12],"describe":[14],"the":[15,60,76,84,90,106,127,146,150,165,205,242],"objective":[16,43,208],"evolution":[17],"a":[19,99,116,139],"unique":[20],"external":[21,192],"world.":[22],"However,":[23],"this":[24,95,103,214,281],"condition":[25],"challenged":[27],"by":[28,49,256],"quantum":[29,268],"theory,":[30],"which":[31,45],"suggests":[32,248,262],"that":[33,119,153,164,178,194,263],"systems":[35],"should":[36],"not":[37,211],"always":[38],"be":[39,276],"understood":[40,277],"as":[41,52,220,252,278],"having":[42],"properties":[44],"are":[46],"simply":[47],"revealed":[48],"measurement.":[50],"Furthermore,":[51],"argued":[53],"below,":[54],"several":[55],"other":[56],"conceptual":[57],"puzzles":[58,229],"in":[59],"foundations":[61],"physics":[63],"and":[64,74,247,273],"related":[65],"fields":[66],"point":[67],"limitations":[69],"perspective":[73,92],"motivate":[75],"exploration":[77],"an":[79,191,221],"alternative:":[80],"start":[82],"with":[83],"first-person":[85],"(the":[86,93],"observer)":[87],"rather":[88,217],"than":[89],"third-person":[91],"world).In":[94],"work,":[96],"I":[97,162],"propose":[98],"rigorous":[100],"approach":[101,215],"kind":[104],"on":[105,115,213],"basis":[107],"algorithmic":[109],"information":[110],"theory.":[111],"It":[112,260],"based":[114],"single":[117],"postulate:":[118],"<mml:math":[120,183],"xmlns:mml=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"><mml:mrow":[121,184],"class=\"MJX-TeXAtom-ORD\"><mml:mtext":[122,185],"class=\"MJX-tex-mathit\"":[123,186],"mathvariant=\"italic\">universal":[124],"induction</mml:mtext></mml:mrow></mml:math>":[125],"determines":[126,154],"chances":[128],"what":[130],"observer":[132,151],"sees":[133],"next.":[134],"That":[135],"is,":[136],"instead":[137],"world":[140],"or":[141],"laws,":[143],"it":[144,176,179],"local":[147],"state":[148],"alone":[152],"those":[155],"probabilities.":[156],"Surprisingly,":[157],"despite":[158],"its":[159],"solipsistic":[160],"foundation,":[161],"show":[163],"resulting":[166,226],"recovers":[168],"many":[169],"features":[170],"established":[173],"worldview:":[175],"predicts":[177],"appears":[180],"observers":[182],"mathvariant=\"italic\">as":[187],"if":[188],"there":[189],"was":[190],"world</mml:mtext></mml:mrow></mml:math>":[193],"evolves":[195],"according":[196],"simple,":[198],"computable,":[199],"probabilistic":[200,258],"laws.":[201],"In":[202],"contrast":[203],"standard":[206],"view,":[207],"reality":[209],"assumed":[212],"but":[216],"provably":[218],"emerges":[219],"asymptotic":[222],"statistical":[223],"phenomenon.":[224],"The":[225],"dissolves":[228],"like":[230,241],"cosmology's":[231],"Boltzmann":[232],"brain":[233],"problem,":[234],"makes":[235],"concrete":[236],"predictions":[237],"for":[238],"thought":[239],"experiments":[240],"computer":[243],"simulation":[244],"agents,":[246],"novel":[249],"phenomena":[250,266],"such":[251],"``probabilistic":[253],"zombies''":[254],"governed":[255],"observer-dependent":[257],"chances.":[259],"also":[261],"some":[264],"basic":[265],"(Bell":[270],"inequality":[271],"violation":[272],"no-signalling)":[274],"might":[275],"consequences":[279],"framework.":[282]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":7},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":16},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":6}],"updated_date":"2026-03-10T16:38:18.471706","created_date":"2018-10-05T00:00:00"}