Einselection and Quantum Darwinism: Pointer States via Predictability Sieve — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: FINDING: Zurek's einselection and quantum Darwinism formalize the emergence of classicality via environment-induced superselection, with pointer states selected by a predictability sieve that minimizes entropy production. | MATH: The core is the von Neumann entropy \( S(\rho) = -\mathrm{Tr}(\rho \ln \rho) \). Einselection uses the environment–system Hamiltonian \( H_{SE} \) to define pointer states as eigenstates of the system's reduced density matrix \( \rho_S = \mathrm{Tr}_E(\rho_{SE}) \) that remain stable under decoherence. The predictability sieve maximizes \( S(\rho_S(t)) \) over initial states to find those with minimal entropy increase — a variational principle: \( \delta S(\rho_S(t))/\delta \rho_S(0) = 0 \) for pointer states. Quantum Darwinism quantifies redundancy \( R_\delta \) via mutual information \( I(S:F) = S(S) + S(F) - S(S,F) \) between system and environment fragments, where \( R_\delta \sim \delta^{-1} \) for small \( \delta \). | CONNECTION: The predictability sie Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7212181968
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