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Quantum Mechanics Unscrambled

Delhotel, Jean-Michel (2014) Quantum Mechanics Unscrambled. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Is quantum mechanics about ‘states’? Or is it basically another kind of probability theory? It is argued that the elementary formalism of quantum mechanics operates as a well-justified alternative to ‘classical’ instantiations of a probability calculus. Its providing a general framework for prediction accounts for its distinctive traits, which one should be careful not to mistake for reflections of any strange ontology. The suggestion is also made that quantum theory unwittingly emerged, in Schrödinger’s formulation, as a ‘lossy’ by-product of a quantum-mechanical variant of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. As it turns out, the effectiveness of quantum theory qua predictive algorithm makes up for the computational impracticability of that master equation.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Delhotel, Jean-MichelJMRL.Delhotel@alumni.lse.ac.uk
Keywords: Quantum mechanics, modern physics, classical mechanics, probability theory
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Dr Jean-Michel Delhotel
Date Deposited: 28 Oct 2014 17:26
Last Modified: 28 Oct 2014 17:26
Item ID: 11092
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: 2014
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11092

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