REVISITING THE NATURE OF MOTION BY INTEGRATING BOTH EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF DYNAMICAL CHAOS AND GRAVITATIONAL GEOMETRY E.

Trelut and E. Bois

Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers, UMR CNRS 5804, B.P. 89, F-33270 Floirac, France trelut@obs.u-bordeaux1.fr Eric.Bois@obs.u-bordeaux1.fr

The classical concept of motion (Newtonian N-body problem) underwent two different but major upheavals thanks to the Einsteinian theory of general relativity (GR, for short) and modern knowledge of dynamical systems (following Poincars works). On the one hand, general relativity has demonstrated that gravity is a geometrical property of space-time itself. Matter tells space-time how to curve and curved space-time tells matter how to move. On the other hand, dynamical chaos has been recognized as a common structural feature in the evolution of gravitational systems. At its deeper level, chaos expresses a natural factor of display and exploration of the dynamical possibilities of Nature. Stated differently, the fundamental assumptions upon which conventional Newtonian mechanics is founded have been revisited separately, that is (i) the independence of space with matter and (ii) the identification of physical determinism with absolute predictability. And yet, with regard to unity and conceptual coherence, a more relevant world picture requires a richer concept of motion to portray it fully. However, to encompass consistently the essential but differing implications of GR and dynamical chaos on the concept of motion faces both conceptual and technical difficulties. In the present paper, we focus on the significance of both dynamical chaos and gravitational geometry in enriching our basic concept of motion through the guiding philosophical articulation of matter and form (following Aristotle and Thomas Aquinasworks on form as intrinsic structure). We show that motion, far from the mechanistic view of the clockwork universe, is deeply rooted in the dynamical interaction that links two different principles: the structural and dynamical quality of forms and the dynamical resources of Nature (such as for instance they appear clearly on a cross section of phase space).Thus, motion is a variation of form which explores some dynamical possibilities of matter. Finally, we suggest some philosophical issues which this concept of a dynamical and constitutive form in matter raises.

1. The need of a new synthesis

Classical Mechanics identified absolute space and time as the fixed containing framework of motion. In this framework, motion takes place in accordance with dynamical laws which govern

the speed and the direction of the N-body system with respect to that absolute space as measured by absolute time. A striking feature of these laws is that they determine completely the state of the dynamical system at any instant in time if certain initial conditions, that is the momentary configuration (positions and momenta), are combined with them. In particular for conservative systems, the conventional Laplacean view assumed that the set of all solutions from all possible initial conditions exhibit regular behaviors in time. Since Poincars works in Les Mthodes Nouvelles de la Mcanique Cleste (NCM) the non-integrable differential systems may exhibit irregular dynamical behavior (or chaotic types of motions) [3, 7]. Moreover, a profound conceptual change came with general relativity (GR) [4, 5]. Motion is not relative to a motionless background space. Rather, space with time is a dynamical object that satisfies the gravitational field governed by the Einstein equations. What is motion? We need to find a new answer to this question which takes into account what we have learned about the world with GR and NCM. To which extent does taking GR and NCM into account force us to enrich the nature of motion?

2. Gravitational geometry First, gravitational field equations relate a purely geometric quantity (the Einstein

1 tensor R R + g ) and the distribution of matter (only through its energy-momentum 2 tensor T ) with each other. Here, the space-time metric tensor g plays a dual role. On the one hand, it describes the intrinsic geometry of space-time. On the other hand, it is a dynamical variable that represents the gravitational field itself coupled to the matter fields. However, the possible distribution of mass-energy throughout space-time depends upon the intrinsic geometry of that space-time. This implies that the equations of motion (geodesic law of motion) are incorporated into the gravitational field. Hence, the field equations express a peculiar co-determination between the intrinsic geometric structure of space-time (g) and the distribution of mass-energy (T) throughout the universe. Space-time does not claim existence on its own, but only as a structural and dynamical quality of matter [5]. A different dynamic formulation to motion in GR has been investigated though the study of the temporal development of the 3-geometry from initial data: so called geometrodynamics [1, 8]. Based on this geometrodynamics formulation of GR, some authors [2, 9] have put forward arguments that time can be eliminated from the foundations of dynamics. But, it has also been argued that chaotic behavior in gravitational systems may challenge such a construction [9].

3. Dynamical chaos Chaos as defined in dynamical system is a common feature of gravitational systems with more than one degree of freedom. Chaos is conventionally defined in the framework of conservative systems by non quasi-periodic behavior1. To be precise, dynamical chaos is rooted in the geometrical property of non-integrability (thus of non-linearity). According to Poincar, a system with n degrees of freedom is not integrable if it possesses f < n independent commuting constants of motion. Extensive numerical studies have shown that in most gravitational systems resonances determine the distribution of both regular and irregular (chaotic) behaviors 2 . Now, regular solutions are either stable or unstable. But irregular solutions are unstable. The chaotic behavior of a dynamical system means that it can explore a large region of its phase space with a non-periodic succession of stable and unstable possible states. One of us [3, 5, 6] analyzed the property of non-integrability in the context of scientific methodology. The epistemology of dynamical chaos opens a clear distinction between determinism and predictability which presents an hierarchy of different levels of significance in relation to its protocols of arising. A simple limit of prediction coming from a model-dependent calculus defines a low level. An established intrinsic property of a dynamical system driving a chaotic behavior defines a deeper level of chaos. At this level, chaos expresses a natural factor of display and exploration of the dynamical resources of Nature.

4. What is motion? We have learned about the world with gravitational geometry (GR) and dynamical chaos (NCM) that the concept of motion has to incorporate the twofold property of non-linearity. With regard to unity and conceptual coherence, a more relevant world picture requires a richer concept of
motion to portray it fully. First, GR has demonstrated that gravity is a geometrical property of

space-time itself. Matter tells space-time how to curve and curved space-time tells matter how to move. Second, dynamical chaos plays an important role in determining the dynamical structure and evolution of gravitational systems. The property of stretching out the possible states of a dynamical system enables to have access to the physical resources of transits and crossings within its own phase space. But, all crossings in phase space are not possible: there are some dynamical constraints.

1 2

Quasi-periodic motions are regular curves on a N-dimensional invariant torus in 2N-dimensional phase space. It is primarily the dynamics of resonances and resonances are almost always associated with chaotic zones [12].

But how motion may be represented by integrating both epistemological contributions of non-linearity in GR and NCM? We interpret the GRs dynamical space-time though the guiding philosophical articulation of matter and form as investigated especially by Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas. Matter and form refer to intrinsic principles which relational structure determines motion in Nature. With the GRs treatment of space-time we interpret form as a constitutive and dynamical principle. Moreover, dynamical chaos modifies the concept of time as a parameter along which the dynamical resources determined by the same equations of motion are explored. We show that
motion is deeply rooted in the dynamical interaction that links the structural and dynamical quality

of forms with the dynamical resources of Nature. Thus motion may be characterized as a variation of form which explores some dynamical resources of matter incorporated into it. We close this section by a glimpse of two ideas: one regards the concept of causality [4, 5], the other the principle of increasing complexity in Nature [5].

References [1] Baierlein R.F., Sharp D.H., Wheeler J.A.: 1962. Three-dimensional geometry as carrier of

information about time. Phys. Rev., 126, pp. 1864-1865.

[2] Barbour J.: 1999. The End of Time. Oxford University Press. Oxford. [3] Bois E.: 2003. Dynamical chaos and the dynamics of nature. New Interactions of Mathematics

with Natural Sciences and the Humanities. Collective work under the supervision of L. Boi. Springer-Verlag. In press.
[4] Bois E., Trelut E.: 2003. The Impact of the Chrono-geometrical Structure of Space-time on

Causality. Revue des Questions Scientifiques. Accepted.

[5] Bois E.: 2002. LUnivers sans Repos ou lessence premire du mouvement. Collection

Philosophia Naturalis et Geometricalis (Vol. 1), Peter Lang Editions Scientifiques Europennes.
[6] Bois E.: 2001. Les trois niveaux de significations du chaos dynamique. Revue des Questions

Scientifiques, 172, pp. 105-116.

[7] Contopoulos G.: 2002. Order and Chaos in Dynamical Astronomy. Springer. pp. 1-10. [8] Misner C.W., Thorne K.S., Wheeler J.A.: 1973. Gravitation. W.H. Freeman and Company. New

York. pp. 520-556.

[9] Smolin L.: 2000. The Present Moment in Quantum Cosmology: Challenges to the Arguments

for the Elimination of Time. gr-qc/0104097. 4

a. b. c. d. e.

WS9. Trelut Eric Oral Slide Projector