What causes quantum uncertainty?

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    Quantum Uncertainty
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the causes of quantum uncertainty, exploring various perspectives on its origins and implications within quantum mechanics. Participants address theoretical aspects, interpretations, and the relationship between classical and quantum physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that detectors do not cause wave collapse, implying that measurements do not preserve the state being measured.
  • Another participant humorously attributes the cause of quantum uncertainty to "Mother nature," indicating a philosophical perspective.
  • Some participants assert that the cause of quantum uncertainty is currently unknown and cannot be definitively answered with the existing state of science.
  • A participant discusses the non-commuting nature of observables, particularly position and momentum, and references symmetry as a foundational concept in quantum mechanics, suggesting a connection to classical physics through Erenfest's Theorem.
  • The same participant expresses uncertainty about the exact reasons behind the relationship between symmetry and classical definitions, mentioning that advanced quantum mechanics experts may provide further insights.
  • There is a mention of Feynman's Path Integral approach as potentially relevant to the discussion, though its exact role remains unclear.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on the cause of quantum uncertainty, with multiple competing views and unresolved questions remaining throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of consensus on definitions and the dependence on interpretations of quantum mechanics, as well as unresolved mathematical relationships between classical and quantum observables.

Ampulla
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What causes quantum uncertainty? My friend who's working for Apknite says that detectors are not the cause of wave collapse, because you are measuring something that isn't remaining in the same state.
 
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Ampulla said:
What causes quantum uncertainty?
Mother nature.
 
The cause of quantum uncertainty is unknown, and cannot be answered at the present state of science.
 
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atyy said:
The cause of quantum uncertainty is unknown, and cannot be answered at the present state of science.

It's caused by observables not commuting. Why do say position and momentum not commute? The answer is symmetry as can be found in chapter 3 of Ballentine - QM - A Modern Approach. The hidden assumption is it proves certain observables defined by symmetry have exactly the same relationships as classical physics. Taking Erenfest's Theorem into account it makes sense to define these operators as their corresponding classical quantities. To bring the correspondence into logical order you define momentum and position operators as the quantum operators found from symmetry, then say the corresponding quantities from Erenfest is their definition classically. So the question is why does symmetry and the above logic lead to exactly the same definition found in classical mechanics? I am not sure the exact reason is known, but we have some very advanced QM experts that post here who may be able to elucidate it further. My suspicion is Feynman's Path Integral approach has something to do with it.

Thanks
Bill
 
Last edited:

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