Creation of the Quantum Universe and Precise Calculation of the Wave Function of the Universe

In modern cosmology, the idea that the universe was created from nothing through quantum effects has been a topic of active research. However, a long-standing debate has persisted regarding which of two prominent hypotheses—the No-Boundary Hypothesis or the Tunneling Hypothesis—is correct.

A research team, including Hiroki Matsui (Specially Appointed Researcher, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics), Kazumasa Okabayashi (Specially Appointed Researcher, same institute), Masazumi Honda (Senior Research Scientist, RIKEN), and Takahiro Terada (Designated Assistant Professor, Nagoya University), has made significant progress in this debate by calculating the wave function of the universe from first principles, without the need for arbitrary assumptions about either hypothesis. Previous analyses left mathematical ambiguities unresolved, but this team eliminated those ambiguities using a method called "resurgence." Their calculations rigorously demonstrated, under certain assumptions, that the wave function of the universe aligns with predictions from the Tunneling Hypothesis, not the No-Boundary Hypothesis.

This work represents a major step forward in resolving the longstanding debate between these two hypotheses.

For more details, please refer to the Kyoto University press release via the related links.