A Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Based on a Principle of Entropy Minimization

Foundations of Physics 31 (10):1431-1464 (2001)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Within many approaches to the interpretation of quantum mechanics, especially modal interpretations, one singles out a particular decomposition of the state vector in order to fix the properties that are well-defined for the system. We present a novel proposal for this preferred decomposition. Given a distinguished factorization of the Hilbert space, it is the decomposition that minimizes the Ingarden–Urbanik entropy from among all product decompositions with respect to the distinguished factorization. We incorporate this choice of preferred decomposition into a framework for modal interpretations and investigate in detail the extent to which it provides a solution to the measurement problem and the extent to which it ensures that measurements whose outcomes are predictable with probability 1 reveal pre-existing properties of the system under investigation

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The properties of modal interpretations of quantum mechanics.Rob Clifton - 1996 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 47 (3):371-398.
Probability in modal interpretations of quantum mechanics.Dennis Dieks - 2007 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (2):292-310.
Wavefunction Tails in the Modal Interpretation.Michael Dickson - 1994 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1994:366 - 376.
A modal-Hamiltonian interpretation of quantum mechanics.Olimpia Lombardi & Mario Castagnino - 2008 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 39 (2):380-443.
Modal semantics, modal dynamics and the problem of state preparation.Laura Ruetsche - 2003 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 17 (1):25 – 41.
Two no-go theorems for modal interpretations of quantum mechanics.E. P. - 1999 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 30 (3):403-431.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-11-22

Downloads
93 (#169,671)

6 months
10 (#135,615)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Citations of this work

The role of decoherence in quantum mechanics.Guido Bacciagaluppi - 2003 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Modal Dynamics for Positive Operator Measures.Jay Gambetta & H. M. Wiseman - 2004 - Foundations of Physics 34 (3):419-448.

Add more citations