1992/08/05 by J. J. Halliwell, Jonathan J. Halliwell, Halliwell, Jonathan J. · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Mathematical Theories and Applications #FOS: Physical sciences #General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc) #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.gr-qc/9208001
18 pages
arxiv created 1992/08/05 · openalex publication_date 1992/08/05 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We consider the problem of extracting physical predictions from the wave function of the universe in quantum cosmological models. We state the features of quantum cosmology an interpretational scheme should confront. We discuss the Everett interpretation, and extensions of it, and their application to quantum cosmology. We review the steps that are normally taken in the process of extracting predictions from solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for quantum cosmological models. Some difficulties and their possible resolution are discussed. We conclude that the usual wave function-based approach admits at best a rather heuristic interpretation, although it may in the future be justified by appeal to the decoherent histories approach.