ABSTRACT

This chapter applies the path-integral approach to the quantum theory of continuous measurements to investigate the quantum Universe, taking into account its self-measurement. It describes the way to apply the path-integral theory of continuous measurements in quantum cosmology in a general form and develops a minisuperspace model. The path-integral approach can be applied to describe the measurement of a quantum field. The measurement of curvature in the framework of quantum gravity has been considered in such a way by Mensky using a functional integral over configurations of the gravitational field. The chapter considers the possible influence of self-measurement on the dynamics of the quantum Universe. The influence could be caused by reduction of the wavefunction of the Universe in the process of continuous measurement. Therefore the time evolution of the quantum Universe makes sense in quantum cosmology provided its self-measurement is correctly taken into account.