Should Metric Signature Matter in Clifford Algebra Formulations of Physical Theories?

Details Should Metric Signature Matter in Clifford Algebra Formulations of Physical Theories? Should Metric Signature Matter in Clifford Algebra Formulations of Physical Theories?

1997-04-17

arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9704048v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

12 pages, latex, no figures, Summary of talk at the Special Session on Octonions and Clifford Algebras Algebras, at the 1997 S

Scientific paper

Standard formulation is unable to distinguish between the (+++-) and (---+) spacetime metric signatures. However, the Clifford algebras associated with each are inequivalent, R(4) in the first case (real 4 by 4 matrices), H(2) in the latter (quaternionic 2 by 2). Multivector reformulations of Dirac theory by various authors look quite inequivalent pending the algebra assumed. It is not clear if this is mere artifact, or if there is a right/wrong choice as to which one describes reality. However, recently it has been shown that one can map from one signature to the other using a "tilt transformation" [see P. Lounesto, "Clifford Algebras and Hestenes Spinors", Found. Phys. 23, 1203-1237 (1993)]. The broader question is that if the universe is signature blind, then perhaps a complete theory should be manifestly tilt covariant. A generalized multivector wave equation is proposed which is fully signature invariant in form, because it includes all the components of the algebra in the wavefunction (instead of restricting it to half) as well as all the possibilities for interaction terms.

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