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What is orthodox quantum mechanics?

Wallace, David (2016) What is orthodox quantum mechanics? [Preprint]

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Abstract

What is called ``orthodox'' quantum mechanics, as presented in standard foundational discussions, relies on two substantive assumptions --- the projection postulate and the eigenvalue-eigenvector link --- that do not in fact play any part in practical applications of quantum mechanics. I argue for this conclusion on a number of grounds, but primarily on the grounds that the projection postulate fails correctly to account for repeated, continuous and unsharp measurements (all of which are standard in contemporary physics) and that the eigenvalue-eigenvector link implies that virtually all interesting properties are maximally indefinite pretty much always. I present an alternative way of conceptualising quantum mechanics that does a better job of representing quantum mechanics as it is actually used, and in particular that eliminates use of either the projection postulate or the eigenvalue-eigenvector link, and I reformulate the measurement problem within this new presentation of orthodoxy.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Wallace, Daviddavid.wallace@balliol.ox.ac.uk
Keywords: quantum mechanics Copenhagen interpretation eigenvector-eigenvalue link projection postulate
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Professor David Wallace
Date Deposited: 21 Apr 2016 16:13
Last Modified: 21 Apr 2016 16:13
Item ID: 12050
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: April 2016
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12050

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