What is quantized: Definition and 142 Discussions

Quantization, in mathematics and digital signal processing, is the process of mapping input values from a large set (often a continuous set) to output values in a (countable) smaller set, often with a finite number of elements. Rounding and truncation are typical examples of quantization processes. Quantization is involved to some degree in nearly all digital signal processing, as the process of representing a signal in digital form ordinarily involves rounding. Quantization also forms the core of essentially all lossy compression algorithms.
The difference between an input value and its quantized value (such as round-off error) is referred to as quantization error. A device or algorithmic function that performs quantization is called a quantizer. An analog-to-digital converter is an example of a quantizer.

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  1. N

    Can Maxwell's equations be quantized in the presence of a source particle?

    Hello everyone, I have been wondering about the quantization of Maxwell's equation in free space, but now suppose that we have a source particle, fermion for example, now the field equation is a mixture of both fermion field and photon field so my question is whether you can get out of this by...
  2. Q

    Is Energy Quantized? - Facts & Explanation

    Is energy quantized?
  3. K

    Is There Evidence for Quantized Space in the Universe?

    Hi, Unfortunately I am not actively involved in physics anymore since high school, but still very interested in the matter. Something has been on my mind for a while and I could not find a answer to this on the internet. But maybe that's because I don't know the right way to look for it, or...
  4. D

    What do they mean that energy is quantized?

    What do they mean that energy is "quantized"? I am SICK of hearing that "energy comes in packets". I understand what they are saying, but I don't comprehend it, or understand the intuition behind it. Someone PLEASE clear this up for me. Obviously, I speak English, and I understand the words...
  5. jaumzaum

    What does a quantum state represent in quantum theory?

    Everybody says energy is quantized. But for einstein-plank equation E = h.f If a photon could have any values of f, E would not be quantized I know bohr orbits only accept some frequencies, but hydrogen frequencies are different from lithium or nytrogen frequencies. So what is the MINIMUM...
  6. C

    Exploring the Concept of Time: Limitations and Possibilities

    Before reading this, please note that my knowledge of physics at this time is quite poor as I'm only 15. Time is only measurable when relative to a progression/regression of something. Therefore, the limit to which we can measure time depends on the shortest possible progression/regression...
  7. G

    Is spacetime quantized or relative?

    I was wondering how spacetime could be relative and quantized. It doesn't make sense to me. I am especially interested in how this works in causal dynamical triangulation. I think it is a very interesting theory, and it sometimes doesn't get enough credit. But, I can't understand how at a tiny...
  8. D

    How can angular momentum be quantized?

    Angular momentum is defined with respect to a certain origin, right? Well, what's stopping me from changing my origin ever so slightly, so that the angular momentum changes ever so slightly?
  9. H

    Is Energy Really Quantized ? (electric Potential enrgy)

    We all know that the elctrons in the nucleus of an atom can't jump to any enrgy state but rather specific sets of energy levels which we call sub-shells (orbitals), implying that energy is quantized just like electric charge. But here is an excerpt from my Phyiscs Book which says otherwise ...
  10. C

    Was energy already quantized 10^-43 seconds after the Big Bang?

    Good evening. I am wondering if energy has always been quantized. I read that the shortest time after the Big Bang (the time it took for gravity to separate first) was 10^-43 seconds. At these moments of earliest symmetry breaking, was energy already discrete, or did quantum mechanics emerge...
  11. A

    Energy of free particle not quantized?

    what does it mean that the energy of a free particle is not quantized, but continuous just like in classical physics? I thought energy is always quantized??
  12. johann1301

    Spacetime: continuous or quantized?

    What proof or evidence -both theoretical or emperical - is there, that spacetime is quantized or continuous?
  13. W

    Renormalization of Quantized GR

    Remember that the electroweak force couldn't be renormalized for over many decades, until Weinberg and company finally renormalized it when mass was introduced via the higgs mechanism. Right? Now in the quantization of general relativity, we haven't been able to renormalize it after decades...
  14. J

    Is space quantized or is it seamless and smooth?

    I recently read an article that stated something to the effect that it is thought that space is divided up into quantized little indivisible chunks, the size of which is called the Planck length. is this a new theory and where can i find more information on it? ANY information Specifically...
  15. mnb96

    Fourier transform of a quantized signal

    Hello, this time it's hard to tell whether this is the right forum to post this thread. Suppose I have a continuous function f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow [0,100), whose Fourier transform exists and is known. Note that the codomain of the function is composed by all the real numbers between 0 and...
  16. P

    Is Action Quantized? Quantum Mechanics Explored

    Is it true that in Quantum Mechanics action is quantized?
  17. M

    No explanation of quantized charge from U(1)?

    I just read the following passage on unification from Howard Georgi: "The SU(2) x U(1) theory is not particularly beautiful. It is often called a unification of the weak and electromagnetic interactions, but, in fact, the unification is partial at best. The problem is the U(1) charge...
  18. N

    Finding Quantized Speeds, Radii & Energies with Bohr's Rule

    Homework Statement Use Bohr's rule, L=n\hbar, to find the quantized speeds, radii, and energies for circular orbits of a particle of mass m bound to the origin by the Hooke's-law force, F(r) = -Kr. Homework Equations mass=m ƩF=ma F(r)=-kr L=n\hbar p=mvr mvr=n\hbar...
  19. J

    Does only light have quantized energy.

    I am reading physics for school and they are talkin about why we don't see the quants of energy in real life because they are too small. But they are realting quants of energy to everyday actions like lifting a stone, like the stone is not continually moving but it's moving in billions of...
  20. C

    Quantizing Time: Exploring the Possibilities and Limitations

    Is the quantization of time possible? Maybe then again maybe not. ~This post is not for those who believe that time is a creation of the human imagination~
  21. D

    Are space and time really quantized?

    Is it really true that space and time are quantized or is it just a mathematical abstraction? If it is true, then what happens to this quantization under special relativity and general relativity? Is the minimum quantized distance different at the surface of a black hole than it is in the middle...
  22. E

    Theories on Dimensions/Time Quantized?

    I wasn't sure what category to put this in or if the proceeding questions are established theory so I decided to put it in "Beyond the Standard Model." Is there evidence to suggest that a length can only be so small or that all lengths are infinitely divisible? Is there evidence to suggest...
  23. I

    When is energy quantized in a one dimensional potential.

    Homework Statement Consider a non relativistic particle moving in a 1D potential V(x). Do you consider the energy of a particle moving in this potential to be quantized? Homework Equations V(x)=A exp{alpha^2 x^2} The Attempt at a Solution I was a bit confused as I thought energy...
  24. M

    Understanding Quantized Conductance in Nano-sized Objects

    In nano-sized objects ( at least one dimension < 100 nm) the conductance is quantized. It is given in multiples of G _0 = 2(e^2) / h . Now, that means that Ohm's law would look like I = GV, where G is an integer multiple of G_0. What does this actually mean however? How does this limit the...
  25. M

    How does the concept of quantization apply to the vibrational energies of atoms?

    I am not understanding this def from the following paragraphs... The book says... The vibrational energies of an atom are said to be quantized, that is the possible ernergies are limited to certain values... If a vibrating atom changed energy, say from 3hv to 2hv (from the equation E =...
  26. A

    If light is quantized, why are EM spectrum and Blackbody spectrum continuous?

    If light is quantized, and is given out in packets, why are the EM wave spectrum and the black body spectrum continuous? I am very confused, can someone offer some explanation? Any input is greatly appreciated.
  27. harrylin

    Is all electromagnetic radiation quantized?

    For quite a while I have been wondering if the quantization of light may be due to the emission process. In that case, at first sight there seems to be no reason for radio waves (created with LRC circuits) to be quantized. But perhaps I overlook something? And would there be a way to test...
  28. W

    Is the garvitay depend upon medium and is gravitaion force is quantized?

    Is the Gravitational force between the two bodies depend upon the medium between them?and is the gravitaional force is quantized?
  29. N

    Quantizing the EM-Field: Eigenvalues Explained

    Hi I have just read the section in my book on quantizing the EM-field. Here the electric and magnetic field becomes operators. But what does their eigenvalues express? Is it the value of the E- and B-field, respectively? Niles.
  30. rpt

    Are space and time quantized quantities?

    Does assuming time and space are quantized quantities make predictions of quantum physics more accurate? I have heard about the "Planks time" but do not know whether its is really a concept in quantum theories.
  31. V

    Quantized Energy Levels: Understanding the Basis of Schrodinger's Equation

    If you solve Schrodinger's equation for a particle in a box you find the solutions to be sines and cosines. The boundary condition that the wave function must go to zero at the edges of the box then leads to the need for an integral number of wavelengths and in turn quantization of energy. I...
  32. maverick280857

    Quantized Dirac Field Interacting with a Classical Potential

    Hi, I'm working through Section 4-3 of Itzykzon and Zuber's QFT textbook, but I am a bit stuck while trying to understand some of the quantities and equations. First of all, what is this "one-body scattering operator \mathcal{F}(A)"? It is defined (eqn 4-89, page 188) as \mathcal{F}(A) =...
  33. S

    Quantizing Time: Fact or Theory?

    Ive been reading a "theory" posted it on the internet, that claims time occurs at the speed of light, since that's the fastest an event can happen for a subatomic particle. I have also read that light radiates photons because the uncertainty principle makes electrons constantly in motion...
  34. marcus

    Gravity Quantized along Thiemann lines (by Lewandowski's team)

    "Gravity Quantized" along Thiemann lines (by Lewandowski's team) http://arxiv.org/abs/1009.2445 Gravity quantized Marcin Domagala, Kristina Giesel, Wojciech Kaminski, Jerzy Lewandowski (Submitted on 13 Sep 2010) "...'but we do not have quantum gravity.' This phrase is often used when analysis...
  35. marcus

    Why spin is quantized one-dimensionally (spon. dim. red. conjecture)

    Spin behaves as if it is one dimensional, along any axis you select. This behavior would be just what one expected from a vector which, owing to spontaneous dimensional reduction, lived in a one-dimensional world. But according to several approaches to QG, very small "things" or degrees of...
  36. tom.stoer

    Spontaneous dimensional reduction of quantized spacetime

    Interesting paper: http://arxiv.org/abs/1009.1136v1 The Small Scale Structure of Spacetime Steven Carlip (Submitted on 6 Sep 2010) Abstract: Several lines of evidence hint that quantum gravity at very small distances may be effectively two-dimensional. I summarize the evidence for such...
  37. marcus

    Can LSS unification (gravity, gauge, Higgs) be quantized à la new LQG ?

    Can LSS unification (gravity, gauge, Higgs) be quantized à la "new LQG"? This came out in April. We had it on our second quarter MIP ("most important paper") poll. https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=413838 So far, this is a classical treatment. And it uses a spacetime manifold...
  38. J

    Is Space Quantized? Exploring Electromagnetic Fields

    As I have not even taken an undergraduate course in quantum physics please overlook my ignorance. I am curious about the nature of the electromagnetic fields and quantization. In the class I just took on electromagnetism we learned Maxwell's equations. If I take the Helmholtz wave equation...
  39. A

    Is rotational energy quantized for tiny molecules?

    I understand quantized energy, and how it pertains to electron energy levels, but I just read that rotational energy of molecules is also quantized. Here's the original quote: "A macroscopic object like a child's top can store an amount of energy that, in effect, varies continuously with its...
  40. B

    Atom Quantum Jumps from 4.9 or 5.3 eV Energy Level

    Homework Statement An atom that is being monitored emits light five times without being re-excited. The energies detected for four of those emissions are 0.7 eV, 0.8 eV, 0.9 eV, and 2.0 eV. The energy information for the other emission was lost by the computer controlling the detectors, as was...
  41. V

    Magnetic Field from quantized vector potential

    Homework Statement Please help me find curl of A(vector potential) to find the magnetic field in the case of quantizes EnM fields.Homework Equations \vec{A}=\sum_{k,\lambda } e^{ikr}\sqrt{2\hbar / \omega_k}}\sqrt{\pi c^2/V}}(b_{\lambda,k} \hat{\epsilon}_{\lambda}(k)+b^{\dagger}_{\lambda,-k}...
  42. J

    Can quantized branes restrict the number of dimensions in string theory?

    I was speaking with a gradstudent studying string theory the other day, and he mentioned that currently "branes" higher than just strings are currently treated classically. As he is still learning, he couldn't comment further. My questions are this: 1) It is my understanding that the...
  43. H

    Is the electromagnetic field quantized?

    Hi! I'm not a physicist. Just trying to get a feeling og matter, space and time without having to do the math (How DO you understand it?!?) Still I have a question. Is the electromagnetic field of a particle quantized - except for either being there og not being there? Does - for example -...
  44. J

    Gravitationally trapped photons leads to quantized space-time

    Hi, I was wondering what happens if one has a photon that is so energetic that it gets trapped in its own gravitational field. Imagine a mass m orbitting a large mass M in a circular orbit with radius r and with transverse velocity v. By equating the gravitational force on m with its...
  45. C

    Quantized Energy of Molecules: Minimum Energy to Break Apart

    Homework Statement The graph below shows all of the quantized energies (bound states) for one of these molecules. For this molecule, E0 = -2.5 eV, E1 = -1.20 eV, E2 = -0.72 eV, and E3 = -0.30 eV. What is the minimum amount of energy required to break a molecule apart, if it is initially in the...
  46. C

    "Quantized Energy: Exploring 3 Bound States

    Homework Statement Suppose we have reason to suspect that a certain quantum object has only three quantum states. When we excite a collection of such objects we observe that they emit electromagnetic radiation of three different energies: 0.2 eV (infrared), 2.1 eV (visible), and 2.3 eV...
  47. W

    Finding n for quantized energies

    Homework Statement A simple pendulum has a length equal to 0.6 m and has a bob that has a mass equal to 0.5 kg. The energy of this oscillator is quantized, and the allowed values of energy are given by En = (n + 1/2)hf0, where n is an integer and f0 is the frequency of the pendulum. Find n...
  48. M

    How can energy be quantized with E=hv

    I don't understand how Planck's equation can state that energy is quantized. in E = hv where E = energy of the photon h Planck's constant and v=frequency how can E have only discrete amounts? plancks constant is .. well.. a constant but isn't frequency a constantly varying or Infinitely...
  49. R

    Quantized energy in infinite potential well

    How does energy become quantized in an infinite potential well??
  50. R

    Non Quantized Light: Could It Produce Energy Below Photon?

    An electronic circuit that produces electromagnetic waves in the visible light range, would such an experiment be able to produce electromagnetic waves with energy below the photon's energy ? I know it is technically hard to conduct such an experiment, but ... what would happen then?
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