High School Quantum Wave & Principle of Least Action

[Andy_K]

Dear All,

I would like to better understand how the Principle of Least Action applies in observations / measurements in quantum physics.

Does the wave function of a particle correspond directly to the principle of least action, as in, the positions with higher probability of detecting the particle are those of least action?

If so, does that mean the particle need not strictly follow the principle, since it can also appear at any of the other lesser probability / higher action positions? Or is that simply due to our ignorance of its accurate properties i.e. momentum?

p/s: Sorry if this is a duplicate question, I tried searching the forum and came across some threads, but the answers are mostly too mathematically intense for my layman comprehension.

 

[hilbert2]

If I remember the details of Feynman's path integral formulation correctly, the trajectories with action more far away from the extremal value will "interfere destructively", making them less likely. But that's just one way to visualize/formulate quantum mechanics, and is no more correct than the version without path integrals.

 

[Andy_K]

If I remember the details of Feynman's path integral formulation correctly, the trajectories with action more far away from the extremal value will "interfere destructively", making them less likely. But that's just one way to visualize/formulate quantum mechanics, and is no more correct than the version without path integrals.

Thank you for your insight.