Rosaler, Joshua (2015) Interpretation Neutrality in the Classical Domain of Quantum Theory. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I show explicitly how concerns about wave function collapse and ontology can be decoupled from the bulk of technical analysis necessary to recover localized, approximately Newtonian trajectories from quantum theory. In doing so, I demonstrate that the account of classical behavior provided by decoherence theory can be straightforwardly tailored to give accounts of classical behavior on multiple interpretations of quantum theory, including the Everett, de Broglie-Bohm and GRW interpretations. I further show that this interpretation-neutral, decoherence-based account conforms to a general view of inter-theoretic reduction in physics that I have elaborated elsewhere, which differs from the oversimplified picture that treats reduction as a matter of simply taking limits. This interpretation-neutral account rests on a general three-pronged strategy for reduction between quantum and classical theories that combines decoherence, an appropriate form of Ehrenfest's Theorem, and a decoherence-compatible mechanism for collapse. It also incorporates a novel argument as to why branch-relative trajectories should be approximately Newtonian, which is based on a little-discussed extension of Ehrenfest's Theorem to open systems, rather than on the more commonly cited but less germane closed-systems version. In the Conclusion, I briefly suggest how the strategy for quantum-classical reduction described here might be extended to reduction between other classical and quantum theories, including classical and quantum field theory and classical and quantum gravity.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Rosaler, Joshua jrosaler@gmail.com
Keywords:	quantum, classical, reduction, correspondence principle, decoherence, measurement problem, Everett, de Broglie-Bohm, Bohmian mechanics, GRW
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Depositing User:	Dr. Joshua Rosaler
Date Deposited:	15 Oct 2015 19:55
Last Modified:	15 Oct 2015 19:55
Item ID:	11723
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Date:	13 October 2015
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11723

Available Versions of this Item

• Interpretation Neutrality in the Classical Domain of Quantum Theory. (deposited 14 Oct 2015 13:24)
  • Interpretation Neutrality in the Classical Domain of Quantum Theory. (deposited 26 Mar 2016 01:43)
  • Interpretation Neutrality in the Classical Domain of Quantum Theory. (deposited 15 Oct 2015 19:55) [Currently Displayed]

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