Quantum soccer

Quantum soccer is a fictional sport described in the Greg Egan short story "Border Guards". The game is played on a normal sized soccer pitch (approximately 50x100m) by two teams of 11 players. The aim is to shape the wave function of a quantum-mechanical “ball” so that the probability of it being inside one of the goals rises above 50%. This is achieved by using the motion of the players to alter the energy spectrum of the wave function: when a player moves across the field, the energy that this action provides (or absorbs) enables transitions between certain modes of the wave function. In the story, the game is played by humans on a physical field, and the wave-function is simulated and displayed by embedded computers in the ground.

Use in other works

A reference to this game is made in Vernor Vinge's 2007 Hugo winning novel Rainbows End. The game is called Egan Soccer in tribute.

ee also

Web applet simulation of the game:

http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/BORDER/Soccer/Soccer.html

Full text of "Border Guards":

http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/BORDER/Complete/Border.html