Lecture

Quantum Physics: Interpretations and Dynamics

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In course

HUM-417: Philosophical perspectives on the exact sciences I

The course considers central themes in the philosophy of science. Starting from the debate between Leibniz and Newton about space and time, we move on to the transition from classical to quantum physics, the explanatory role of mathematics and philosophica ...

Description

This lecture delves into the fundamental concepts of quantum physics, exploring the role of operators and observables in describing quantum systems. It discusses the Schrödinger equation for temporal evolution and the measurement problem, as well as various interpretations like Schrödinger's cat and the many-worlds theory. The debate between different dynamics, including Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber's spontaneous localization, is also covered. The lecture concludes with an analysis of Bohmian mechanics, addressing the ontology of matter and the laws governing the temporal development of physical objects. It highlights the implications of these theories on classical mechanics and the observable phenomena in quantum systems.

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Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Quantum mechanics: Interpretations of quantum mechanics

Related concepts (32)

Interpretations of quantum mechanics

An interpretation of quantum mechanics is an attempt to explain how the mathematical theory of quantum mechanics might correspond to experienced reality. Although quantum mechanics has held up to rigorous and extremely precise tests in an extraordinarily broad range of experiments, there exist a number of contending schools of thought over their interpretation. These views on interpretation differ on such fundamental questions as whether quantum mechanics is deterministic or stochastic, local or non-local, which elements of quantum mechanics can be considered real, and what the nature of measurement is, among other matters.

Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales.

Many-worlds interpretation

The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is objectively real, and that there is no wave function collapse. This implies that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realized in some "world" or universe. In contrast to some other interpretations, such as the Copenhagen interpretation, the evolution of reality as a whole in MWI is rigidly deterministic and local.

Measurement in quantum mechanics

In quantum physics, a measurement is the testing or manipulation of a physical system to yield a numerical result. A fundamental feature of quantum theory is that the predictions it makes are probabilistic. The procedure for finding a probability involves combining a quantum state, which mathematically describes a quantum system, with a mathematical representation of the measurement to be performed on that system. The formula for this calculation is known as the Born rule.

Objective-collapse theory

Objective-collapse theories, also known as models of spontaneous wave function collapse or dynamical reduction models, are proposed solutions to the measurement problem in quantum mechanics. As with other theories called interpretations of quantum mechanics, they are possible explanations of why and how quantum measurements always give definite outcomes, not a superposition of them as predicted by the Schrödinger equation, and more generally how the classical world emerges from quantum theory.

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