The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

[Epsilon Pi]

Hello Everyone,

This time I want to share with you my experience with the book the Interpretation of Quantum mechanics by Erwin Schrödinger. Just let me point out some of his most remarkable points in my humble opinion. In his first chapter, JULY 1952 COLLOQUIUM, he wrote:

Let me say at the outset, that in this discourse, I am opposing not a few special statements of quantum mechanics held today, I am opposing as it were the whole of it... The view that I am opposing is so widely accepted... It is, as I said, the Probability view of quantum mechanics...pag19

Macroscopic energy is a "quantity-concept". Microscopic energy(meaning hv) is a "quality-concept"pag25

Wave mechanics can never conflict with the U.P. The conflict is produced by imposing on wave mechanics the probability view... To my mind it is patently absurd to let the wave function be controlled in two entirely different ways, at times by the wave equation, but occasionally by direct interference of the observer, not controlled by the wave equation...pag35

Just wonder how are things today?

My best regards and enjoy a great book

EP

 

[Fredrik]

First quote: The interpretation of wave functions (or more generally the scalar product of two quantum state vectors) as a probability amplitude is accepted by everyone, simply because it works extremely well.

Second: I don't know what he means.

Third: If you e.g. read any of Penrose's books, you'll see that he completely agrees with this. I do too, in a way. It is absurd to say that state vectors change with time in two different ways that contradict each other. However, it's only absurd if you think of quantum mechanics as a model of reality, i.e. as something that describes reality. If we just think of it as a method that we can use to calculate probabilities of possibilities, then there is no problem. Unfortunately, no one knows if this is the correct solution to the problem or just a way to ignore it. Penrose has another answer. He argues quite convincingly (in my opinion) that gravity should destroy superpositions. So maybe the mystery of quantum mechanics will be eventually be solved by the efforts to unify gravity with the other interactions.