Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The understanding of time in physics has undergone profound changes from classical mechanics to relativity and quantum mechanics. In Newtonian mechanics, time is regarded as an absolute and uniform passage, independent of external phenomena, and is a fundamental parameter of the equations of motion. Relativity emphasises the relativity of time and its close connection with the motion of matter, proposes an operational definition of the simultaneity of distant events, and develops Minkowski’s view of spacetime and Riemannian curved spacetime. In quantum mechanics, time is often regarded as a parameter external to the microscopic system rather than an observable quantity. Although some scholars have attempted to introduce time operators, they have not yet gained widespread recognition. Overall, the understanding of time in physics continues to deepen with the development of theory. Still, the unity of classical and quantum mechanics in time remains an unsolved problem.
Author: Wu Xinzhong
Institution: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415646994