The State of the Universe

What is the quantum state of the universe? That is the central question of quantum cosmology. This essay describes the place of that quantum state in a final theory governing the regularities exhibited universally by all physical systems in the universe. It is possible that this final theory consists of two parts: (1) a dynamical theory such as superstring theory, and (2) a state of the universe such as Hawking's no-boundary wave function. Both are necessary because prediction in quantum mechanics requires both a Hamiltonian and a state. Complete ignorance of the state leads to predictions inconsistent with observation. The simplicity observed in the early universe gives hope that there is a simple, discoverable quantum state of the universe. It may be that, like the dynamical theory, the predictions of the quantum state for late time, low energy observations can be summarized by an effective cosmological theory. That should not obscure the need to provide a fundamental basis for such an effective theory which gives a a unified explanation of its features and is applicable without restrictive assumptions. It could be that there is one principle that determines both the dynamical theory and the quantum state. That would be a truly unified final theory. (talk given The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology: Stephen Hawking 60th Birthday Symposium