The problem of time in quantum mechanics
Abstract: The problem of time in quantum mechanics concerns the fact that in the Schr\"odinger equation time is a parameter, not an operator. Pauli's objection to a time-energy uncertainty relation analogue to the position-momentum one, conjectured by Heisenberg early on, seemed to exclude the existence of such an operator. However Dirac's formulation of electron's relativistic quantum mechanics (RQM) does allow the introduction of a dynamical time operator that is self-adjoint. Consequently, it can be considered as the generator of a unitary transformation of the system,as well as an additional system observable subject to uncertainty. In the present paper these aspects are examined within the standard framework of RQM.
Paper Prompts
Sign up for free to create and run prompts on this paper using GPT-5.
Top Community Prompts
Collections
Sign up for free to add this paper to one or more collections.