A Lagrangian-Driven Cellular Automaton Supporting Quantum Field Theory

Abstract

Models of areas of physics in terms of cellular automata have become increasingly popular. Cellular automata (CAs) support the modeling of systems with discrete state component values and enforce the comprehensive specification of the dynamic evolution of such systems. Because many areas of physics can be described by starting with a specific Lagrangian, the idea to derive a cellular automaton directly from the Lagrangian (or similar construct, such as the Hamiltonian or action) is not new. Previous work, however, indicated that the classical CA may not be a sufficient basis for the modeling of more advanced physics theories, such as quantum field theory. Specifically, the modeling of interactions in quantum field theory requires extensions and modifications of the classical CA. This paper describes a proposal for an extended cellular automaton that is suited for support of quantum field theory.