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The direction of time in Bohmian mechanics

Lopez, Cristian and Esfeld, Michael (2025) The direction of time in Bohmian mechanics. [Preprint]

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Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the treatment of the direction of time in Bohmian mechanics. We show how Bohmian mechanics can account for the direction of time in different ways. In particular, we argue that Bohmian mechanics can be employed to accommodate reductionism, because there always is an asymmetry in the initial conditions when forward and backward evolutions of the configuration of matter are compared. It can also be employed to accommodate primitivism and relationalism due to the fact that Bohmian mechanics is a first order theory that recognizes only position as a primitive physical magnitude. We show how this fact can be employed to support a primitive direction of time by assuming Leibnizian relationalism, which reduces the direction of time to change in the configuration of matter with that change being directed as a primitive matter of fact.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Lopez, Cristiancristian.lopez@unil.ch0000-0002-2883-4037
Esfeld, Michaelmichael.esfeld@unil.ch0000-0001-9456-3258
Keywords: Direction of Time, Bohmian Mechanics, Reductionism, Primitivism, Relationalism
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Michael Esfeld
Date Deposited: 19 Apr 2025 15:33
Last Modified: 19 Apr 2025 15:33
Item ID: 25113
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: 19 April 2025
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25113

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