Saunders, Simon
(2020)
What price statistical independence? How Einstein missed the photon.
Quantum, Probability, Logic.
pp. 479-503.
Abstract
Einstein’s celebrated 1905 argument for light quanta was phrased in terms of the concept of ‘statistical independence’– wrongly. It was in fact based on the notion of local, non-interacting entities, and as such was neutral on the question of statistical independence. A specific kind of statistical dependence had already been introduced by Gibbs, in connection with the Gibbs paradox, but went unrecognised by Einstein. A modification of Einstein’s argument favours the latter. This kind of statistical dependence, as eventually attributed by Einstein to Bose, although expressed, in quantum mechanics, by the (anti)symmetrisation of the wave-function, does not require ‘genuine’ entanglement. This chapter demystifies quantum indistinguishability; its novel features derive from the finiteness of the state-space in quantum mechanics, not indistinguishability.
| Item Type: |
Published Article or Volume
|
| Creators: |
|
| Additional Information: |
I have made minor corrections and added three footnotes (fn 8,,15, and 20) |
| Keywords: |
Wien, Planck, Einstein, Bose, Dirac, light quantum, photon, Gibbs paradox, statistical independence, Bose-Einstein statistics, indistinguishable particles |
| Subjects: |
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
General Issues > Thought Experiments |
| Depositing User: |
simon saunders
|
| Date Deposited: |
04 Nov 2025 12:15 |
| Last Modified: |
04 Nov 2025 12:15 |
| Item ID: |
27104 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Quantum, Probability, Logic |
| Publisher: |
Springer |
| Official URL: |
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-03... |
| DOI or Unique Handle: |
doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34316-3_22 |
| Subjects: |
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
General Issues > Thought Experiments |
| Date: |
8 April 2020 |
| Page Range: |
pp. 479-503 |
| URI: |
https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27104 |
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