The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics.

It is well established in quantum theory that the wave-particle duality fundamentally leads to
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which can be expressed as:

Δx Δp ≥ h / 4π

where Δx and Δp are respectively the uncertainties on position and momentum of the wave-particle, and where
h is Plank’s constant, which is often reduced to h-bar, defined as  = h 2π .

It means that the more precise you get information about position (Δx), the less precise is the information you
can get about momentum (Δp), and vice versa. It is easy to see how this relation is fundamental, not only a
result of measurements. A more precise location means a less spread wave function, and doing a Fourier
analysis, you’ll find that it thus requires more waves of different wavelengths λ (or equivalently, frequencies
ν = c / λ) to produce an interference pattern that will localize the wave function. For a single, non-localized
wave function (Δx → ∞), the momentum is given by

p=hν/c

where ν is its frequency of the wave and c, the velocity of massless particles (light speed), which in a vacuum
is also expressed as c = (ε0 μ0)-½, ε0 being the electric permittivity and μ0, the magnetic permeability.

One can find this relation by taking Einstein’s equation for energy:

E = mrel c2 = [p2 c2 + m02 c4]½

where E is the total energy, mrel the effective relativistic mass and m0 the rest mass. Here, waves have m0 = 0
so E = p c, i.e., p = E / c. Knowing that a wave has an energy E = h ν, we find the relation presented above.

Therefore, with a single wave of frequency ν, its momentum p is well defined (Δp = 0), but it is not localized
at all (Δx → ∞), while for an infinitely well localized particle (Δx = 0), it requires the superposition of an

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. p. 1

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

infinity of Fourier waves to produce the required interference pattern, and thus its momentum, just as the
associated frequency or wavelength, cannot be evaluated (Δp → ∞).

We know that momentum is expressed as p = E / c. Therefore, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle can be

reformulated as

Δx Δp = Δx ΔE / c ≥  / 2  Δx ΔE ≥  c / 2.

Here, we are interested by the maximum amount of information we can encode in a definite volume of
space. For that, we want to encode that information on the smallest bits of space Vbit = 4π (Δx/2)3 / 3 =
π Δx3 / 6, so we’ll use the minimal form of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle:

Δx ΔE =  c / 2  ΔE = (  c / 2) / Δx, Δx ≠ 0.

Knowing that E = mrel c2, we see that when we increase the information content of a volume V, we must
decrease Δx (increase resolution) and therefore increase ΔE and equivalently Δmrel. In a volume V of radius R
such as V = 4π R3 / 3 = Req3, we can count N bits of information to describe the system, which is dependant of
the Vbit = 4π (Δx/2)3 / 3 = π Δx3 / 6 chosen as the size of our bits. Thus we find

Etot = N ΔE = (V / Vbit) ΔE = (6 V / π Δx3) (  c / 2) / Δx

Etot = (3 V  c / π) / Δx4.

We see that adding a little bit of information increases the total energy tremendously, as the fourth power of
the length of our bits. Converting this to a mass, we obtain:

Mtot = E / c2 = (3 V  / π c) / Δx4.

From a pure quantum perspective, we would assume that we can decrease Δx as much as desired and therefore
increase information to infinity, but gravity prevents that.

In effect, there is a limit to the mass (or energy) a certain volume can contain before collapsing into a black
hole out of which even light cannot escape. The critical mass is proportional to the Schwarzschild’s radius (of
the horizon) Rs, and is calculated as

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 2

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

Mbh = (c2 / 2 G) Rs

where G is the gravitational constant and c the speed of light. If you do calculations, the constant of
proportionality is about 6,75 × 1026 kg / m, which is also approximately equal to 2,4 × 105 MSun / RSun.

We know that for a black hole, entropy S is proportional to its surface at the horizon:

S = (kB c3 / 4  G) A

where kB = Rgas / NA is Boltzmann’s constant (Rgas is the ideal gas constant and NA the Avogadro number of
particles contained in 1 mol) and A is the surface of the black hole, proportional to Rs2.

This correspondence comes from the analogy between the physics of black holes and thermodynamics, which
act exactly the same way. Thermodynamics tells us that entropy and heat are related through temperature in
the following way: dQ = T dS, while the second law tells us that dSuniverse = dSoutside + dSbh ≥ 0 and thus forces
dSbh ≥ 0 if we throw matter (energy) from the outside in the black hole, and while the first law tells us that
T dS = dEint – dWon the system, which in our case reduces to dEbh = dSbh (there would be work if the black hole
was charging and rotating, which we don’t consider here). So we end up with:

dEbh = Tbh dSbh.

On the other hand, black hole physics tells us that dMbh = (κ / 8π G) dA, where κ is the gravity of surface on
the horizon, which equals κ = G Mbh / Rs2. In effect, if you take the previous relation Mbh = Rs c2 / 2 G, you can
express it as a function of A = 4π Rs2 and κ = G Mbh / Rs2 = G Rs c2 / 2 G Rs2 = c2 / 2 Rs = c4 / 4 G Mbh:

A = 4π Rs2 = 4π (2 G Mbh / c2)2 = 16π G2 Mbh2 / c4  Mbh2 = (c4 / 16π G2) A

d(Mbh2) / dA = (c4 / 16π G2) dA / dA

2 Mbh dMbh / dA = c4 / 16π G2
dMbh / dA = (c4 / 32π G2 Mbh) = (κ / 8π G)
dMbh = (κ / 8π G) dA

We know that E = M c2 and that dE = dM c2. We thus have dEbh = dMbh c² = (c6 / 32π G2 Mbh) dA.

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 3

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

We have two quantities that are forced to increase as energy / mass falls into the black hole: entropy and
surface of the horizon. Continuing calculations…

Tbh dSbh = (  kB c3 c3 / 32π  kB G2 Mbh) dA

= (  c3 / 8π kB G Mbh) (kB c3 / 4  G) dA
= (  κ / 2π kB c) (kB c3 / 4  G) dA

Here, we have a temperature multiplying entropy, so we deduct

Tbh =  c3 / 8π kB G Mbh =  κ / 2π kB c =  c / 4π kB Rs
dSbh = (kB c3 / 4  G) dA  Sbh = (kB c3 / 4  G) A

Verification can be made through dimensional analysis, remembering that 1 J = 1 kg m2 / s2:

[  c3 / 8π kB G Mbh] = (J s) (m / s) 3 / (J / K) (m3 / kg s2) kg = K = [T]

[kB c3 A / 4  G] = (J / K) (m / s)3 m2 / (J s) (m3 / kg s2) = (J / K) = [S]

The temperature we just found is what is called Hawking’s radiation temperature, while the second equation is
what we were looking for, showing that S ∝ A in a black hole in a way that actually defines the value of the
constant of proportionality. A study of this constant shows that it is not variable under characteristics of the
back hole; it depends only on physical constants of nature. Stated otherwise, we find that the surface density
of entropy Sbh / A is constant in all black holes responding to Schwarzschild’s metric.

Knowing that Boltzmann’s constant kB is already expressed as entropy, we would be tempted to express the
ration Sbh / A as kB / 4  G c-3, which would let us say that the surface density of entropy is equal to kB per
surface unit of c3 / 4  G, or about 1,3 × 1046 J / K m2.

Information being equivalent to entropy as a measure of the complexity of a system, in the sense of
the quantity of parameters necessary to describe a system completely, and to take into account its degrees of
freedom, the information content of a black hole is proportional to its surface.

If we increase information, the surface of a black hole must increase accordingly. Since we started our
discussion with a definite volume, and therefore a definite surface and a definite radius, we have thus reached

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 4

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

a maximum entropy or information content for a definite volume of space, which corresponds to a maximum
mass or energy, and therefore a minimal size of bits.

Mmax = (c2 / 2 G) R = (3 V  / π c) / Δxmin4.

We deduct the following:

Δxmin4 = (3 V  / π c) / Mmax where V = 4π R3 / 3

Δxmin4 = (3  / π c) (4π R3 / 3) / (c2 / 2 G) R = (8  G / c3) R2
Δxmin2 = (8  G / c3)½ R
Δxmin = (8  G / c3)¼ R½

We see that Δxmin varies with the square root of R, which is coherent with the fact that the critical density to
form a black hole varies inversely with the square of the radius: ρcrit ∝ 1 / Rs2, actually

ρcrit = Mbh / Vbh = (Rs c2 / 2 G) / (4π Rs3 / 3) = 3 c2 / 8π G Rs2.

As we increase the volume, ρcrit decreases and vice versa. The maximal density of information and entropy is
obtained as we reduce the volume, i.e., the radius, which of course cannot go below Δxmin/2 (for the diameter
cannot go below Δxmin).

When R = Δxmin/2, we obtain Δxmin = (2  G / c3)½, that is 2½ times the Plank’s length lP. It is the absolute
limit of resolution to encode information, and is therefore demonstrating a limit to the substructure of the
microcosm. Doing the calculation, we find that lP ≈ 1,616 x 10-35 m.

We have seen that the entropy S of a black hole is proportional to its surface A, and that it represents
the maximum amount of information a volume can contain. Therefore,

SV ≤ Sbh ∝ A Õ V.

This demonstrates the holographic nature of our Universe, and its non locality, for its maximum content of
information is smaller than the volume it occupies, and actually proportional to its surface.

More precisely, Sbh = (kB c3 / 4  G) A = kB A / 4 lP2 where lP = (  G / c3)½ ≈ 1,616 x 10-35 m.

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 5

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

Addendum A: How to derive relativistic equations for energy, momentum

and Schwarzschild’s radius

Energy and momentum

Einstein discovered the equivalence of energy and mass, which is expressed through his famous
relation E = mrel c2. The energy is composed of kinetic energy Ek and rest mass energy E0, thus…

E = Ek + E0 = Ek + m0 c2 = mrel c2 = γ m0 c2

where γ is a proportionality factor dependant on the velocity, used in re-expressing the total energy in function
of the rest mass energy, or equivalently the effective relativistic mass in function of the rest mass.

1
Because γ = , we can find that
v2
1− 2
c

Ek = mrel c2 - m0 c2 = γ m0 c2 - m0 c2 = (γ - 1) m0 c2

for which we use Newton’s generalized binomial theorem to develop Ek. Defining

it says that

This theorem can also be expressed differently for a special case where r is a negative real number –s and
where the binomial terms are 1 and –x instead of x and y. In such a case, the former relation simplifies to this
one:

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 6

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

Applying the theorem to γ with x = v2 / c2 and s = ½, we find:

 
 
 1  2 1 2 3 m0 v 4 5 m0 v 6
Ek = − 1 m0 c = m0 v + + + ...
 v²  2 8 c2 16 c 4
 1− 
 c² 

We see that for v << c, Ek = ½ m0 v2 as in the classical Newtonian theory of gravity.

We could also evaluate the value of momentum as

p = mrel v = γ m0 v

and thus deduct from that the following:

p2 c2 = γ2 m02 v2 c2 = γ2 m02 c4 (v2 / c2 – 1 + 1) = γ2 m02 c4 (v2 / c2 – 1) + γ2 m02 c4

= γ2 m02 c4 (-γ-2) + γ2 m02 c4 = mrel2 c4 - m02 c4
= (γ2 – 1) E02 = (1 – 1 / γ2) E2 = E2 – E02
= [(γ – 1)2 + 2γ – 2] E02 = Ek2 + 2 (γ– 1) E02 = Ek2 + 2 Ek E0

Thus we get

E = m rel c 2 = p 2 c 2 + m 02 c 4

Schwarzschild’s radius

Now, if we decide to calculate the escape velocity of an object, we may first consider the object at
escape velocity vesc at distance ri from the mass M, reaching vfin → 0 as r → ∞. From a classical Newtonian
perspective, the conservation of energy would lead us to say that the variation in kinetic energy has been

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 7

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

compensated by the variation in gravitational potential energy, thus ΔU +ΔEk = 0 where ΔU = Uf – Ui = 0 +

G M m / ri (U → 0 when r → ∞ et U → -∞ when r → 0) and ΔEk = ½ m vesc2 – 0. We then find:

2G M
ΔU = -ΔEk  G M m / ri = ½ m vesc2  v esc = ,m≠0
ri

2G M
If we require the escape velocity to be maximized at c (vesc → c), then we find R min → .
c2

Although we get the right answer, this kind of treatment is completely erroneous because the velocities and
densities involved near ri are so high that the Newtonian approximation fails out completely to describe
reality.

One might be tempted to then use the relativistic expression of kinetic energy in the previous relation, and
thus would obtain

ΔEk = - (γ - 1) m0 c2

ΔU = -ΔEk  G M γ m0 / ri = (γ - 1) m0 c2  G M γ / ri = (γ - 1) c2, m ≠ 0
G M / ri c2 = 1 – 1 / γ  1 / γ = 1 - G M / ri c2
1 / γ2 = (1 - G M / ri c2)2  (c2 – v2) / c2 = 1 – 2 G M / ri c2 + (G M / ri c2)2
c2 – v2 = c2 – 2 G M / ri + (G M / ri c)2  v2 = 2 G M / ri – (G M / ri c)2

 2G M   G M 
 v esc =   −   ,m≠0
 r   cr
i
 i 

GM
If we require the escape velocity to be maximized at c (vesc → c), then we find R min → , half the radius
c2
found previously.

If we consider a massless particle like a photon of frequency ν, we simply replace mrel = γ m0, which is
undetermined under the form 0 / 0, by mrel = E / c2 = hν / c2 and we find the same result. Otherwise, one can
redo the calculations based on the fact that Ef = Ei (conservation of energy: ΔE = 0), which implies that

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 8

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

hνf = hνi – G M h νi / ri c2  Δν / νi = – G M / ri c2

What we get is a gravitational redshift. We seek the limit when this redshift of frequencies Δν approaches -νi,
GM
for then we get νf → 0 and Ef = hνf / c2 → 0. This is how we find R min → just as we found previously.
c2

Although interesting from a pedagogical perspective, it is nevertheless wrong. Once again, the reason we get
a wrong answer is because we assumed the existence of a classical Newtonian gravitational potential even if
we used the correct relativistic expression of both effective mass and kinetic energy. What must really be
done is to solve Einstein equations for general relativity, which properly describe the gravitational interaction.

The full details would require a graduate level of education in physics, so we will limit ourselves to the
Schwarzschild metric:

It is from that relation that, assuming static spherical symmetry and non charge, the proper critical radius can
be calculated, and coincidentally, the result is the same as from Newton’s theory of gravitation, that is:

2 G M bh
Rs = .
c2

This radius is found by requiring the metric to go to infinity. Otherwise, when m → 0 or r → ∞, the curvature
factor 1 – 2 G m / c2 r → 1 and the metric becomes the same as in flat space-time, just as it should in empty
space.

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 9

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

Addendum B: Core Demonstration of the Holographic Principle

(without additional pedagogical considerations)

Here is the short version of a full (and unnecessary for our purpose) demonstration of the holographic
principle and of the quantization of space-time. We use relations of proportionality instead of equalities and
we put aside the demonstration of well-known relations in quantum mechanics and general relativity. We refer
you to the full demonstration or to the previous addendum if those omissions are of interest to you.

It is well established in quantum theory that the wave-particle duality fundamentally leads to
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which can be expressed as:

Δx Δp ≥  / 2 or Δx ΔE ≥  c / 2

where Δx, Δp and ΔE represents respectively the indetermination in the position, momentum and energy of the
wave-particle, and where  = h 2π is the reduced Plank’s constant.

Here, we are interested by the maximum amount of information we can encode in a definite volume of space.
For that, we want to encode that information on the smallest bits of space Δx3, so we’ll use the minimal form
of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle:

Δx ΔE =  c / 2  ΔE = (  c / 2) / Δx, Δx ≠ 0.

Knowing that E = mrel c2, we see that when we increase the information content of a volume V, we must
decrease Δx (increase resolution) and therefore increase ΔE and Δmrel. In a volume V of radius R, we can
count N bits of information to describe the system, which is dependent of the Vbit ~ Δx3 chosen as the size of
our bits. Thus we find

Etot = N ΔE = (V / Vbit) ΔE ∝ (V / Δx3) (1 / Δx)

Etot ∝ V / Δx4.

We see that adding a little bit of information increases the total energy tremendously, as the fourth power of
the length of our bits. Converting this to a mass, we obtain:

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 10

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

Mtot = E / c2 ∝ V / Δx4.

From a pure quantum perspective, we would assume that we can decrease Δx as much as desired and therefore
increase information to infinity, but gravity prevents that.

In effect, there is a limit to the mass (or energy) a certain volume can contain before collapsing into a black
hole out of which even light cannot escape. The critical mass is proportional to the Schwarzschild’s radius (of
the horizon) Rs, so Mbh ∝ Rs.

We know that for a black hole, entropy S is proportional to its surface at the horizon: S ∝ A.

Information being equivalent to entropy as a measure of the complexity of a system, in the sense of the
quantity of parameters necessary to describe a system completely, and to take into account its degrees of
freedom, the information content of a black hole is proportional to its surface.

If we increase information, the surface of a black hole must increase accordingly. Since we started our
discussion with a definite volume, and therefore a definite surface and a definite radius, we have thus reached
a maximum entropy or information content for a definite volume of space, which corresponds to a maximum
mass or energy, and therefore a minimal size of bits.

Mmax ∝ R ∝ V / Δxmin4.

We deduct the following :

Δxmin4 ∝ V / Mmax where V ∼ R3

Δxmin4 ∝ [R3 / R]
Δxmin4 ∝ R2
Δxmin2 ∝ R

We see that Δxmin varies with the square root of R. The maximal density of information (which means the
smallest Δxmin) and entropy is obtained as we reduce the volume, thus the radius, which of course cannot go
below Δxmin.

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 11

 The World is a Hologram (demonstration)

When R = Δxmin, we obtain Δxmin = cte, which we define as Plank’s length lP. It is the absolute limit of
resolution to encode information, and is therefore demonstrating a limit to the substructure of the microcosm.

We have seen that the entropy S of a black hole is proportional to its surface A, and that it represents
the maximum amount of information a volume can contain. Therefore,

SV ≤ Sbh ∝ A Õ V.

This demonstrates the holographic nature of our Universe, and its non locality, for its maximum content of
information is smaller than the volume it occupies, and actually proportional to its surface. It is equivalent to
say that all the 3D content that we perceive is a function of what happens on a 2D surface.

¤¤¤

For further investigations, we refer you to the work of Dr. Leonard Susskind (Stanford University), Dr.
Raphael Bousso (Berkeley Lab) and Dr. Gerard 't Hooft. In particular:

• Bekenstein, Jacob D. "Information in the Holographic Universe." Scientific American. Special issue
17.1 (2007): 66-73.
• Bousso, Raphael (2002). "The Holographic Principle". Reviews of Modern Physics 74 (3): 825–
874. arXiv:hep-th/0203101. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.74.825
• Susskind, Leonard (1995). "The World as a Hologram". Journal of Mathematical Physics 36 (11):
6377–6396. arXiv:hep-th/9409089. doi:10.1063/1.531249
• Videos:
o The World As Hologram (Leonard Susskind): http://youtu.be/2DIl3Hfh9tY
o The World as a Hologram (Raphael Bousso): http://www.uctv.tv/search-
details.aspx?showID=11140
o A Thin Sheet of Reality: The Universe as a Hologram (2011 World Science Festival):
http://youtu.be/NsbZT9bJ1s4

By Stephan Bourget, B.Sc. in Physics. 12