Pub Date : 2019-04-01DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.009
J. Ladyman
{"title":"What Is the Quantum Face of Realism?","authors":"J. Ladyman","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"58 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114348891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-05-01DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.003
W. Myrvold
If some sort of dynamical collapse theory is correct, what might the world be like? Can a theory of that sort be a quantum state monist theory, or must such theories supplement the quantum state ontology with additional beables? In a previous work (Myrvold 2018), I defended quantum state monism, with a distributional ontology along the lines advocated by Philip Pearle. In this chapter the account is extended to collapse theories in relativistic spacetimes.
{"title":"Ontology for Relativistic Collapse Theories","authors":"W. Myrvold","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.003","url":null,"abstract":"If some sort of dynamical collapse theory is correct, what might the world be like? Can a theory of that sort be a quantum state monist theory, or must such theories supplement the quantum state ontology with additional beables? In a previous work (Myrvold 2018), I defended quantum state monism, with a distributional ontology along the lines advocated by Philip Pearle. In this chapter the account is extended to collapse theories in relativistic spacetimes.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134279249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-04-10DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.007
L. Vaidman
It is argued that the many-worlds interpretation is by far the best interpretation of quantum mechanics. The key points of this view are viewing the wave functions of worlds in three dimensions and understanding probability through self-locating uncertainty.
{"title":"Ontology of the Wave Function and the Many-Worlds Interpretation","authors":"L. Vaidman","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.007","url":null,"abstract":"It is argued that the many-worlds interpretation is by far the best interpretation of quantum mechanics. The key points of this view are viewing the wave functions of worlds in three dimensions and understanding probability through self-locating uncertainty.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131499419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-28DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.005
D. Dieks
Experimental evidence of the last decades has made the status of ``collapses of the wave function'' even more shaky than it already was on conceptual grounds: interference effects turn out to be detectable even when collapses are typically expected to occur. Non-collapse interpretations should consequently be taken seriously. In this paper we argue that such interpretations suggest a perspectivalism according to which quantum objects are not characterized by monadic properties, but by relations to other systems. Accordingly, physical systems may possess different properties with respect to different ``reference systems''. We discuss some of the relevant arguments, and argue that perspectivalism both evades recent arguments that single-world interpretations are inconsistent and eliminates the need for a privileged rest frame in the relativistic case.
{"title":"Quantum Mechanics and Perspectivalism","authors":"D. Dieks","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.005","url":null,"abstract":"Experimental evidence of the last decades has made the status of ``collapses of the wave function'' even more shaky than it already was on conceptual grounds: interference effects turn out to be detectable even when collapses are typically expected to occur. Non-collapse interpretations should consequently be taken seriously. In this paper we argue that such interpretations suggest a perspectivalism according to which quantum objects are not characterized by monadic properties, but by relations to other systems. Accordingly, physical systems may possess different properties with respect to different ``reference systems''. We discuss some of the relevant arguments, and argue that perspectivalism both evades recent arguments that single-world interpretations are inconsistent and eliminates the need for a privileged rest frame in the relativistic case.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123889593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-26DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.017
N. Harshman
Symmetries impose structure on the Hilbert space of a quantum mechanical model. The mathematical units of this structure are the irreducible representations of symmetry groups and I consider how they function as conceptual units of interpretation. For models with symmetry, the properties of irreducible representations constrain the possibilities of Hilbert space arithmetic, i.e. how a Hilbert space can be decomposed into sums of subspaces and factored into products of subspaces. Partitioning the Hilbert space is equivalent to parsing the system into subsystems, and these emergent subsystems provide insight into the kinematics, dynamics, and informatics of a quantum model. This article provides examples of how complex models can be built up from irreducible representations that correspond to `natural' ontological units like spins and particles. It also gives examples of the reverse process in which complex models are partitioned into subsystems that are selected by the representations of the symmetries and require no underlying ontological commitments. These techniques are applied to a few-body model in one-dimension with a Hamiltonian depending on an interaction strength parameter. As this parameter is tuned, the Hamiltonian runs dynamical spectrum from integrable to chaotic, and the subsystems relevant for analyzing and interpreting the dynamics shift accordingly.
{"title":"Symmetry, Structure, and Emergent Subsystems","authors":"N. Harshman","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.017","url":null,"abstract":"Symmetries impose structure on the Hilbert space of a quantum mechanical model. The mathematical units of this structure are the irreducible representations of symmetry groups and I consider how they function as conceptual units of interpretation. For models with symmetry, the properties of irreducible representations constrain the possibilities of Hilbert space arithmetic, i.e. how a Hilbert space can be decomposed into sums of subspaces and factored into products of subspaces. Partitioning the Hilbert space is equivalent to parsing the system into subsystems, and these emergent subsystems provide insight into the kinematics, dynamics, and informatics of a quantum model. This article provides examples of how complex models can be built up from irreducible representations that correspond to `natural' ontological units like spins and particles. It also gives examples of the reverse process in which complex models are partitioned into subsystems that are selected by the representations of the symmetries and require no underlying ontological commitments. These techniques are applied to a few-body model in one-dimension with a Hamiltonian depending on an interaction strength parameter. As this parameter is tuned, the Hamiltonian runs dynamical spectrum from integrable to chaotic, and the subsystems relevant for analyzing and interpreting the dynamics shift accordingly.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125494691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-19DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.010
Hans Halvorson
I look at the distinction between between realist and antirealist views of the quantum state. I argue that this binary classification should be reconceived as a continuum of different views about which properties of the quantum state are representationally significant. What's more, the extreme cases -- all or none --- are simply absurd, and should be rejected by all parties. In other words, no sane person should advocate extreme realism or antirealism about the quantum state. And if we focus on the reasonable views, it's no longer clear who counts as a realist, and who counts as an antirealist. Among those taking a more reasonable intermediate view, we find figures such as Bohr and Carnap -- in stark opposition to the stories we've been told.
{"title":"To Be a Realist about Quantum Theory","authors":"Hans Halvorson","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.010","url":null,"abstract":"I look at the distinction between between realist and antirealist views of the quantum state. I argue that this binary classification should be reconceived as a continuum of different views about which properties of the quantum state are representationally significant. What's more, the extreme cases -- all or none --- are simply absurd, and should be rejected by all parties. In other words, no sane person should advocate extreme realism or antirealism about the quantum state. And if we focus on the reasonable views, it's no longer clear who counts as a realist, and who counts as an antirealist. Among those taking a more reasonable intermediate view, we find figures such as Bohr and Carnap -- in stark opposition to the stories we've been told.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"75 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117227280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-12-09DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.014
M. Esfeld
The paper explains why an ontology of permanent point particles that are individuated by their relative positions and that move on continuous trajectories as given by a deterministic law of motion constitutes the best solution to the measurement problem in both quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. This case is made by comparing the Bohmian theory to collapse theories such as the GRW matter density and the GRW flash theory. It is argued that the Bohmian theory makes the minimal changes, concerning only the dynamics and neither the ontology nor the account of probabilities, that are necessary to get from classical mechanics to quantum physics. There is no cogent reason to go beyond these minimal changes
{"title":"Individuality and the Account of Nonlocality: The Case for the Particle Ontology in Quantum Physics","authors":"M. Esfeld","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.014","url":null,"abstract":"The paper explains why an ontology of permanent point particles that are individuated by their relative positions and that move on continuous trajectories as given by a deterministic law of motion constitutes the best solution to the measurement problem in both quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. This case is made by comparing the Bohmian theory to collapse theories such as the GRW matter density and the GRW flash theory. It is argued that the Bohmian theory makes the minimal changes, concerning only the dynamics and neither the ontology nor the account of probabilities, that are necessary to get from classical mechanics to quantum physics. There is no cogent reason to go beyond these minimal changes","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130364880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-27DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.013
R. Kastner
The transition from quantum to classical statistics is studied in light of Huggett's finding that the empirical data do not support the usual claim that the distinction between classical and quantum objects consists in the capacity of classical objects to carry permutable labels as opposed to quantum objects. Since permutation of the labels of classical objects counts as a distinct configuration, this feature is usually taken as signifying that classical objects are not identical while quantum objects are. Huggett's finding threatens that characterization of the distinction between classical and quantum objects. The various statistical distributions are examined, and it is found that other distinctions, corresponding to separability and distinguishability, emerge in the classical limit. The role of the chemical potential (the rate of change of the Helmholtz free energy with particle number) is found to be of crucial significance in characterizing this emergence of classicality from the quantum distributions.
{"title":"From Quantum to Classical Physics: The Role of Distinguishability","authors":"R. Kastner","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.013","url":null,"abstract":"The transition from quantum to classical statistics is studied in light of Huggett's finding that the empirical data do not support the usual claim that the distinction between classical and quantum objects consists in the capacity of classical objects to carry permutable labels as opposed to quantum objects. Since permutation of the labels of classical objects counts as a distinct configuration, this feature is usually taken as signifying that classical objects are not identical while quantum objects are. Huggett's finding threatens that characterization of the distinction between classical and quantum objects. The various statistical distributions are examined, and it is found that other distinctions, corresponding to separability and distinguishability, emerge in the classical limit. The role of the chemical potential (the rate of change of the Helmholtz free energy with particle number) is found to be of crucial significance in characterizing this emergence of classicality from the quantum distributions.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134414513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.1017/9781108562218.020
S. Fortin, Manuel Gadella Urquiza, F. Holik, M. Losada
The description of the classical limit of a quantum system is one of the most important issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics [1]. This problem has been formulated in different ways and explained by appealing to different interpretations [2]. The attempts to explain the classical limit go back to the correspondence principle, proposed by Niels Bohr. This principle establishes a connection between quantum observables and their classical counterparts when Planck’s constant is small enough in comparison with relevant quantities of the quantum system. In particular, this happens in the limit of large quantum numbers.
{"title":"A Logical Approach to the Quantum-to-Classical Transition","authors":"S. Fortin, Manuel Gadella Urquiza, F. Holik, M. Losada","doi":"10.1017/9781108562218.020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108562218.020","url":null,"abstract":"The description of the classical limit of a quantum system is one of the most important issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics [1]. This problem has been formulated in different ways and explained by appealing to different interpretations [2]. The attempts to explain the classical limit go back to the correspondence principle, proposed by Niels Bohr. This principle establishes a connection between quantum observables and their classical counterparts when Planck’s constant is small enough in comparison with relevant quantities of the quantum system. In particular, this happens in the limit of large quantum numbers.","PeriodicalId":185176,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Worlds","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122010826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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