Nonlocality versus complementarity: a conservative approach to the information problem. (English) Zbl 1207.83031

Giddings, Steven B.

Classical Quantum Gravity 28, No. 2, Article ID 025002, 11 p. (2011).

Summary: A proposal for resolution of the information paradox is that ’nice slice’ states, which have been viewed as providing a sharp argument for information loss, do not in fact do so as they do not give a fully accurate description of the quantum state of a black hole. This however leaves an information problem, which is to provide a consistent description of how information escapes when a black hole evaporates. While a rather extreme form of nonlocality has been advocated in the form of complementarity, this paper argues that is not necessary, and more modest nonlocality could solve the information problem. One possible distinguishing characteristic of scenarios is the information retention time. The question of whether such nonlocality implies acausality, and particularly inconsistency, is briefly addressed. The need for such nonlocality, and its apparent tension with our empirical observations of local quantum field theory, may be a critical missing piece in understanding the principles of quantum gravity.

MSC:

83C57	Black holes
94A17	Measures of information, entropy
83C45	Quantization of the gravitational field
03A05	Philosophical and critical aspects of logic and foundations
81T20	Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds