Probabilistic cellular automata for interacting fermionic quantum field theories

A classical local cellular automaton can describe an interacting quantum field theory for fermions. We construct a simple classical automaton for a particular version of the Thirring model with imaginary coupling. This interacting fermionic quantum field theory obeys a unitary time evolution and shows all properties of quantum mechanics. Classical cellular automata with probabilistic initial conditions admit a description in the formalism of quantum mechanics. Our model exhibits interesting features as spontaneous symmetry breaking or solitons. The same model can be formulated as a generalized Ising model. This euclidean lattice model can be investigated by standard techniques of statistical physics as Monte Carlo simulations. Our model is an example how quantum mechanics emerges from classical statistics. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

This study constructs a classical automaton model for a specific version of the Thirring model, demonstrating properties consistent with quantum mechanics, such as unitary time evolution and interacting fermionic quantum field theory. Through probabilistic initial conditions, this classical automaton can be described in the formalism of quantum mechanics, showing interesting features like spontaneous symmetry breaking or solitons.