Revisiting the algebraic structure of the generalized uncertainty principle

Abstract

We compare different formulations of the generalized uncertainty principle that have an underlying algebraic structure. We show that the formulation by Kempf, Mangano, and Mann [Phys. Rev. D 52 (1995)], quite popular for phenomenological studies, satisfies the Jacobi identities only for spin zero particles. In contrast, the formulation proposed earlier by one of us (Maggiore) [Phys. Lett. B 319 (1993)] has an underlying algebraic structure valid for particles of all spins and in this sense seems more fundamental. The latter is also much more constrained, resulting in only two possible solutions, one expressing the existence of a minimum length and the other expressing a form of quantum-to-classical transition. We also discuss how this more stringent algebraic formulation has an intriguing physical interpretation in terms of a discretized time at the Planck scale.