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Against (unitary) interpretation (of quantum mechanics): removing the metaphysical load

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arxiv 2409.17061 v3 pith:DER7N3ZW submitted 2024-09-25 quant-ph

classification quant-ph
keywords theoryquantummechanicseventsbornruleunitarydecoherence
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In June 1925 Heisenberg arrived at Helgoland/Heligoland island to escape a fit of hay fever. He returned with a sketch of a strange theory of the micro-world, which we now call quantum mechanics. This essay attempts to present a look at this theory, which tries to return to the original insight of Heisenberg on what should be the essence of a theory of atomic realm: it must be a theory of the observable events, in which fundamentally unobservable quantities have no place. No ontological status is given to elements of the mathematical formulation of the theory. The theory is about our description of events in laboratories, probabilities of which are given by the Born rule. Following Bohr, these events involve macroscopic measuring apparatuses, and the accessible final events are classically describable. Information about the events is cloneable, as it is of a classical nature. The modern quantum theory of classicality is the decoherence theory. It treats "the pointer variable" of measuring apparatus as an open system interacting with an environment consisting of all other "zillions" of degrees of freedom of the device, and anything coupled to it. Because such environment is uncontrollable we have no possibility to reverse measurements. The quantum mechanical measurement theory based on decoherence theory is reproducing the predictions of Born rule. Notwithstanding, possibility of reversing measurements and of application of Born rule in situations other than these which lead to macroscopically observable events are features of a modification of quantum mechanics which is called by its adherents "unitary quantum mechanics". As its predictions, which go beyond quantum mechanics, are not testable - we claim that unitary quantum mechanics in an interpretation of quantum mechanics. As such it is metaphysics.

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Cited by 2 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. Quantification of the energy consumption of entanglement distribution

    quant-ph 2025-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    The paper proves that entanglement irreversibility implies a non-zero lower bound on the standard energy cost of distributing an ebit through a noisy quantum channel.

  2. Emergence of Classicality in Wigner's Friend Scenarios

    quant-ph 2025-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    Wigner's Friend effects survive in a quantum-Darwinism decoherence model, but they are confounded by classical ignorance and suppressed as the Friend grows larger.

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