Partial observables

Abstract

I discuss the distinction between the notion of a partial observable and the notion of a complete observable. Mixing up the two is frequently a source of confusion. The distinction bears on several issues related to observability, such as (i) whether time is an observable in quantum mechanics, (ii) what are the observables in general relativity, and (iii) whether physical observables should or should not commute with the Wheeler-DeWitt operator in quantum gravity. I argue that the extended configuration space has a direct physical interpretation, as the space of the partial observables. This space plays a central role in the structure of classical and quantum mechanics and the clarification of its physical meaning sheds light on this structure, particularly in the context of general covariant physics.