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- a quantum version of Laplace's classical, mechanical universe
Based on the thermal interpretation, I developed a quantum version of the classical, mechanical universe suggested by Laplace over 200 years ago.
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to propose a quantum version of the classical, mechanical universe suggested by Laplace over 200 years ago. The proposed theory operates fully within the established mathematical formalism of quantum field theory.
The proposed theory unifies the classical and quantum intuition about the macroscopic and microscopic, deterministic and stochastic, local and nonlocal aspects of our world. It entails the best features of several traditional strands of fundamental research, but avoids many of their drawbacks and limitations.
The proposed theory shares
(i) with quantum field theory the local dynamics of quantum fields;
(ii) with statistical mechanics the reduced density operator and coarse graining techniques, but gives them a deterministic meaning for single quantum systems;
(iii) with the statistical interpretation the effective stochastic quantum properties, but explains its deterministic origin;
(iv) with quantum information theory the maximum entropy principle, but gives it an objective meaning;
(v) with the Copenhagen interpretation the importance of classical aspects in quantum experiments, but realized in a pure quantum context;
(vi) with quantum chemistry nonlinear models for mixed quantum-classical dynamics;
(vii) with quantum cosmology the assumption of a universal quantum state, but not assumed to be pure;
(viii) with the thermal interpretation the focus on quantum values for the description of measurements, rather than on eigenvalues;
(ix) with hidden variable theories a nonlocal deterministic dynamics of quantum values, but given by the familiar N-point functions; and
(x) with the many worlds interpretation the unitary dynamics of the universe, but realized in a single world.
In particular, the proposed theory is made compatible with scientific realism by a simple but powerful reinterpretation of some of the formal terms in quantum field theory as in the thermal interpretation. As a result, there is a coherent story to be told about how quantum physics works.
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to propose a quantum version of the classical, mechanical universe suggested by Laplace over 200 years ago. The proposed theory operates fully within the established mathematical formalism of quantum field theory.
The proposed theory unifies the classical and quantum intuition about the macroscopic and microscopic, deterministic and stochastic, local and nonlocal aspects of our world. It entails the best features of several traditional strands of fundamental research, but avoids many of their drawbacks and limitations.
The proposed theory shares
(i) with quantum field theory the local dynamics of quantum fields;
(ii) with statistical mechanics the reduced density operator and coarse graining techniques, but gives them a deterministic meaning for single quantum systems;
(iii) with the statistical interpretation the effective stochastic quantum properties, but explains its deterministic origin;
(iv) with quantum information theory the maximum entropy principle, but gives it an objective meaning;
(v) with the Copenhagen interpretation the importance of classical aspects in quantum experiments, but realized in a pure quantum context;
(vi) with quantum chemistry nonlinear models for mixed quantum-classical dynamics;
(vii) with quantum cosmology the assumption of a universal quantum state, but not assumed to be pure;
(viii) with the thermal interpretation the focus on quantum values for the description of measurements, rather than on eigenvalues;
(ix) with hidden variable theories a nonlocal deterministic dynamics of quantum values, but given by the familiar N-point functions; and
(x) with the many worlds interpretation the unitary dynamics of the universe, but realized in a single world.
In particular, the proposed theory is made compatible with scientific realism by a simple but powerful reinterpretation of some of the formal terms in quantum field theory as in the thermal interpretation. As a result, there is a coherent story to be told about how quantum physics works.