Skip to main content
Log in

Solving the Measurement Problem: De Broglie--Bohm Loses Out to Everett

  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The quantum theory of de Broglie and Bohm solves the measurement problem, but the hypothetical corpuscles play no role in the argument. The solution finds a more natural home in the Everett interpretation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • D. Bohm (1952) Quantum Theory Prentice-Hall New York

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Dürr S. Goldstein N. Zanghi (1992) ArticleTitleQuantum equilibrium and the origin of absolute uncertainty J. Stat. Phys. 67 843–907

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Holland (1993) The Quantum Theory of Motion: An Account of the de Broglie–Bohm Causal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm B. J. Hiley (1993) The Undivided Universe Routledge London

    Google Scholar 

  • J. T. Cushing (1994) Quantum Mechanics: Historical Contingency and the Copenhagen Hegemony The University of Chicago Press Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • W. C. Myrvold (2003) ArticleTitleOn some early objections to Bohm’s theory Int. Stud. Phil. Sci. 17 7–24

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Deutsch (1996) ArticleTitleComment on Lockwood Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 47 222–228

    Google Scholar 

  • H. D. Zeh, ‘‘Why Bohm’s quantum theory?’’, Found. Phys. Lett. 12, 197–200 (1999). quant-ph/9812059 v2.

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Wallace (2003) ArticleTitleEverett and structure Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys. 34 87–105

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Saunders (1999) The ‘beables’ of relativistic pilot-wave theory J. Butterfield C. Pagonis (Eds) From Physics to Philosophy Cambridge University Press Cambridge 71–89

    Google Scholar 

  • A. D. Stone (1994) ArticleTitleDoes the Bohm theory solve the measurement problem? Phil. Sci. 62 250–266

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Maudlin (1995) ArticleTitleWhy Bohm’s theory solves the measurement problem Phil. Sci. 62 479–483

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm, ‘‘A suggested interpretation of quantum mechanics in terms of ‘hidden’ variables, I; II’’, Phys. Rev. 85, 166–179; 180–193 (1952).

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Bub (1997) Interpreting the Quantum World Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm (1962) ArticleTitleClassical and non-classical concepts in the quantum theory an answer to Heisenberg’s Physics and Philosophy Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 12 265–280

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm (1962) ‘‘Hidden variables in the quantum theory’‘ D. R. Bates (Eds) Quantum Theory III. Radiation and High Energy Physics Academic Press New York 345–387

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm (1980) Wholeness and the Implicate Order Routledge and Kegan Paul London 65–110

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Bohm B. Hiley (1984) ArticleTitleMeasurement as understood through the quantum potential approach Found. Phys. 14 255–274

    Google Scholar 

  • B.-G. Englert M. O. Scully G. Süssman H. Walther (1992) ArticleTitle‘‘Surrealistic Bohm trajectories’‘ Z. Naturforsch. 47a 1175–1186

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Dewdney L. Hardy E. J. Squires (1993) ArticleTitleHow late measurements of quantum trajectories can fool a detector Phys. Lett. 184A 6–11

    Google Scholar 

  • H. R. Brown C. Dewdney G. Horton (1995) ArticleTitleBohm particles and their detection in the light of neutron interferometry Found. Phys. 25 329–347

    Google Scholar 

  • B. J. Hiley, R. E. Callaghan, and O. J. Maroney, ‘‘Quantum trajectories, real, surreal or an approximation to a deeper process?’’, quant-ph/00100220 v2.

  • D. Deutsch (1995) ArticleTitleQuantum theory as a universal physical theory Int. J. Theor. Phys. 24 IssueID1 1–41

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Albert B. Loewer (1988) ArticleTitleInterpreting the many worlds interpretation Synthese\/ 77 195–213

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Foster H. R. Brown (1988) ArticleTitleOn a recent attempt to define the interpretation basis in the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics Int. J. Theor. Phys. 27 1507–1531

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Lockwood (1996) ArticleTitleMany minds’ interpretations of quantum mechanics Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 47 159–188

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Saunders (1995) ArticleTitleTime, decoherence and quantum mechanics Synthese\/ 102 235–266

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Wallace, ‘‘Worlds in the Everett interpretation’’, Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys. 33, 637–661 (2002). Available from http://xxx.arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0103092 or http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu’’.

  • L. Vaidman, ‘‘The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics’’, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2002 Edition), Edward N. Zalta, ed. URL http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2002/entries/qm-manyworlds/. S. Saunders, ‘‘Time, quantum mechanics, and probability’’, Synthese 114, 373–404 (1998)..

  • D. Wallace, ‘‘Quantum probability from subjective likelihood: improving on Deutsch’s proof of the probability rule’’, (2003). Available from http://xxx.arXiv.org/abs/ quant-ph/0312157 or http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu.

  • D. Wallace, ‘‘Worlds in the Everett interpretation,’’ Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys. 33, 637--661 (2002). Available from http://xxx.arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0103092 or http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu.’’

  • J. S. Bell, ‘‘Quantum mechanics for cosmologists’’, in Quantum Gravity 2: a second Oxford Symposium, C. J. Isham, R. Penrose, and D. Sciama eds. (Clarendon Press, Press, 1981) Reprinted in [34].

  • J. S. Bell (1987) Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Kent, ‘‘Against many-worlds interpretations’’, Int. J. Theor. Phys. A5, 1764 (1990). gr-qc/9703089.

  • A. Kent, ‘Against many-worlds {i}nterpretations,’’ Int. J. Theor. Phys. A5, 1764 (1990). gr-qc/9703089.

  • J. Kim (1998) Mind in a Physical World MIT Press/Bradford Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Ross and D. Spurrett, ‘‘What to say to a sceptical metaphysician: a defense manual for cognitive and behavioral scientists’’, Behav. Brain Sci. in press.

  • H. R. Brown C. Dewdney G. Horton (1995) ArticleTitleBohm particles and their detection in the light of neutron interferometry Found. Phys. 25 329–347

    Google Scholar 

  • H. R. Brown A. Elby R. Weingard (1996) Cause and effect in the pilot-wave interpretation of quantum mechanics J. T. Cushing A. Fine S. Goldstein (Eds) Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Theory: An Appraisal Kluwer Academic Dordrecht 309–319

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Anandan H. R. Brown (1995) ArticleTitleOn the reality of space–time geometry and the wavefunction Found. Phys. 25 349–360

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Dürr, S. Goldstein, and N. Zanghi, ‘‘Bohmian mechanics and the meaning of the wave function’’, in Experimental Metaphysics: quantum mechanical studies in honour of Abner Shimony R. S. Cohen, M. Horne, and J. Stachel eds. (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1996), pp.\,25–38. Available from http://xxx.arXiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9512031.

  • S. Goldstein S. Teufel (2000) Quantum spacetime without observer: ontological clarity and the conceptual foundations of quantum gravity C. Callender N. Huggett (Eds) Physics Meets Philosophy at the Planck Scale Cambridge University Press Cambridge 275–289

    Google Scholar 

  • H. R. Brown (1996) ArticleTitleMindful of quantum possibilities Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 47 189–200

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Valentini, On the Pilot-Wave Theory of Classical, Quantum, and Subquantum Physics, PhD thesis (International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy, 1992).

  • D. C. Dennett, ‘‘The zombic hunch: extinction of an intuition?’’, Royal Institution of Philosophy Milennial Lecture (1999). Available from http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/ pubpage.htm.

  • R. Penrose (1989) The Emperor’s New Mind Oxford University Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Penrose (1994) Shadows of the Mind Oxford University Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • J. R. Searle (1992) The Rediscovery of the Mind MIT Press Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Chalmers (1996) The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory Oxford University Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • J. T. Cushing (1996) What measurement problem? R. Clfiton (Eds) Perspectives on Quantum Reality Kluwer Academic Dordrecht 167–181

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harvey R. Brown.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

R. Brown, H., Wallace, D. Solving the Measurement Problem: De Broglie--Bohm Loses Out to Everett. Found Phys 35, 517–540 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-004-2009-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-004-2009-3

Keywords

Navigation