The Problem of Time
An Essay by Christopher Bek
christopher.bek@gmail.com
In Honour of My Parents
Summary—this Essay discusses The Concept of Time in time-series modeling, relativistic physics, and quantum physics—then argues compellingly that, in regard to such fundamental matters, we must radically return to our essential roots—and tell the simple truth—Forever!
Quotation—What God has put asunder, no man shall ever join.
—The Bible, Matthew 19:6
According to William Barrett in his 1958 book Irrational Man: It used to be said that if a dozen men were to die, the meaning of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity would be lost to mankind.
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft designed and built by Avro Canada, which held the promise of Mach 2 speeds at altitudes exceeding 50,000 feet, and was intended to serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s primary interceptor into the 1960s and beyond. Production of the Avro Arrow was officially cancelled, as announced by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, in 1959. My parents, LP and SA Beke, have always been there for me in terms of Maslow’s lower hierarchy of needs. From that very solid base of love, I launched my lifelong journey into Self-Actualization.
Probability Distributions are mathematical functions describing the likelihood of diverse ranges of outcomes occurring for random variables, narrating the spread and shape of data. These distributions are fundamental in statistics for analyzing and modeling random phenomena. In relativistic physics, understanding the distributions of populations is crucial for describing and predicting the behavior of systems with many particles or states. In quantum physics, probability distributions are crucial for describing the likelihood of finding a particle in a specific state or location. Unlike relativistic physics, which is able to predict precise outcomes, quantum physics only provides probabilities, as characterized by probability distributions derived from wavefunctions or density matrices. A density matrix is a mathematical tool used to describe the state of quantum systems in a mixed state, rather than being in a pure state—like the normal, Cauchy, or a mixed distribution—all represented by the four-moment Camus distribution.
The Method of Moments is a statistical technique for estimating the parameters of probability distributions by equating sample moments to population moments. It involves calculating sample statistics including mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis as determined from selections from datasets in estimating variable parameters. Other methods of statistical parameter estimation, besides the method of moments, include least squares, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian estimation.
Time-Series Modeling. Time-series data is represented by a sequence of datapoints measured or recorded at specific intervals over time, ordered in time (eg. hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly). Time-series data may be used for forecasting, pattern recognition, and trend analysis—although it has virtually unlimited possibilities and applicability. Time-series datasets include: CPI, FX rates, market and stock prices, weather readings, indices, sales and risk exposure.
The Signal-Wave-Noise Model represents signal with cubic splines, waves with centered moving averages, and noise with the four-moment Camus distribution. Correlation is a statistical measurement describing the strength and direction of relationships between two time-series. The essence of the signal-wave-noise approach is to historically deconstruct time-series into correlated signal, correlated stationary-wave, and correlated stationary-noise—and then reconstruct the time-series data patterns going forward with mean-reverting processes that are historically consistent with past data, and then apply these predicted values against exposure within the animation of a Monte Carlo simulation-based optimization environment—in establishing peak organizational decision-making.
Fractals are geometric shapes exhibiting self-similarity—meaning they display similar patterns at alternative scales. This self-similarity can be exact, as with some mathematical fractals, or approximate, as seen in natural phenomena like coastlines and broccoli. By calculating the signal-wave-noise parameters for each value for each timeframe of hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly—we then enable self-similar, cross-referenced parameter estimation that covers the entire temporal spectrum.
The Gaussian Distribution or Normal Distribution is a probability distribution, named after Carl Fredrich Gauss, symmetric about the mean, showing that data is distributed according to a bell-shaped curve—and is widely used in statistics and data analysis due to its prevalence in natural phenomena, the Central Limit Theorem, and Einstein’s Brownian Motion.
The Cauchy Distribution or Lorentz Distribution. The Cauchy distribution, named after Augustin-Louis Cauchy, is a continuous probability distribution symmetric about the mode. The distribution of the mean of samples from a Cauchy distribution remains Cauchy, regardless of the sample size. The Cauchy is the distribution of the ratio of two independent normally distributed random variables with mean zero. The normal distribution essentially represents death-and-taxes, while the Cauchy distribution basically represents freedom-and-responsibility.
The Camus Distribution. The normal and Cauchy distributions are continuous probability distributions, symmetric about the mode. The Cauchy distribution is pathological owing to its undefined moments, although the first four may be calculated by truncating the tails. The Camus distribution is constructed by blending the normal with the truncated-Cauchy. Some skewness occurs by unevenly truncating the tails of the Cauchy, while additional skewness may be introduced into the Camus by shifting the normal. It then a matter involving the somewhat laborious exercise in doing the modeling so that the Camus distribution robustly represents the first four statistical moments of mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis probabilistically.
General Relativity. Einstein’s theory of relativity is fundamentally based on the principle that the speed of light or Lightspeed is constant for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. This seemingly simple postulate has profound implications for our understanding of space, time, and gravity. Einstein field equations represent the essence of general relativity describing how spacetime geometry is affected by matter and energy. They are often written in a compact tensor notation but, when fully expanded, represent a system of ten coupled, nonlinear, partial differential equations. A tensor is a mathematical object that generalizes scalars, vectors, and matrices into n-dimensional arrays. In general relativity, time is not a unique background parameter but is, instead, a general coordinate. The field equations of general relativity are not parameterized by time, but are formulated in terms of spacetime. At the cosmic scale, general relativity shows a closed universe with no external time. Or, as Saint Augustine said: The Universe was created with time and not in time.
Quantum Theory. Energy is what enables change, and time is the duration over which that change occurs. The normal distribution plays a role in quantum physics, as it is particularly important in describing the uncertainty in systems and the behavior of certain quantum states. The Cauchy distribution is also used in quantum physics to describe certain phenomena in the context of energy levels and resonances—appearing where there is a high degree of uncertainty in the energy of a quantum state associated with unstable particles or resonances. In calculating the statistical moments of a quantum wavefunction, one computes expectation values using the wavefunction and corresponding quantum operators. The moments provide information about the probability distribution of observable quantities like position and momentum.
The Problem of Time in physics refers to the conceptual conflict between how time is treated in relativistic physics vs quantum physics. General relativity treats time as relative and malleable, as part of a dynamic spacetime, while quantum physics inherently treats time as absolute and universal. This difference in perspective creates difficulties when trying to incorporate these two fundamental theories, as central to physics, into a single portfolio theory of the Universe.
The Solution of Time. Quantum gravity is the supposed theoretical framework aimed at unifying general relativity with quantum physics, particularly in extreme conditions like black holes and the early universe, in order to describe gravity at the quantum level. It seeks to join this incompatibility between these two pillars of science, which is considered to be a major unsolved problem in foundational physics. So, do you think that God is really going to give up all of Her secrets? Or, as The Bible says: What God has put asunder, no man shall ever join.
Escaping Skinner’s Box. BF Skinner was the most influential psychologist of the 20th century and, as such, I believe that Canada practices behaviourism. Canadians know how to behave, not how to Be. Being means First Principles Forever. I have found most Canadians are well-behaved and tend to be intellectually-weak, self-satisfied, and self-serving—and all ought to take a step back and directly yield to Higher Authority Now. As The First Commandment of The Bible states: Thou shall have no other gods before Me. At this time, I would say that I am an island of truth in an ocean of liars. It seems: The time has come, the Walrus would say, for all Leaders to terrifically simplify, and conduct the inner, subjective work necessary to turn and face Authentic Reality—in quintessentially Doing the Right Thing—and abandon some of our most wrong-headed projects like quantum gravity—and be a simple man. In conclusion, I would say that the legendary Neil deGrasse Tyson believes himself to be an astrophysicist but, in reality, is a film critic—for God is The Grand Filmmaker—and we are all just Beings existing within of The Great Cosmic Ontological Theatre.