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Drift-Diffusion in Mangled Worlds Quantum Mechanics

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Robin Hanson

Quantum Physics · Submitted 18 Mar 2003

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim Thus deviations from exact decoherence can allow the Born rule to be derived in a many worlds approach via world counting, using a finite number of worlds and no new fundamental physics.

how it is stated · asserted 0.72 read the record →

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arXiv IDquant-ph/0303114 (version 2)
Pith IDYF7DXN3C, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review
CitationRobin Hanson. "Drift-Diffusion in Mangled Worlds Quantum Mechanics." arXiv:quant-ph/0303114 (2003). https://pith.science/paper/YF7DXN3C
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The compiled record

The paper's own sentences, arranged. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.

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Compiled by classifier-1.13.0 via TypeSafe API, question bank abstract-p1-20260923, 2026-09-23: 1 request, 3,021 input tokens.

What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.04 · states limitation 0.92 · human participants 0.02 · controlled comparison 0.04 · randomized assignment 0.01 · states quantitative result 0.11 · compares with prior results 0.23 · mentions code or data availability 0.02.

The abstract, sentence by sentence

arXiv listing abstract v2. Results and the main claim are underlined; .

In Everett's many worlds interpretation, where quantum measurements are seen as decoherence events, inexact decoherence may let large worlds mangle the memories of observers in small worlds, creating a cutoff in observable world size. I solve a growth-drift-diffusion-absorption model of such a mangled worlds scenario, and show that it reproduces the Born probability rule closely, though not exactly. Thus deviations from exact decoherence can allow the Born rule to be derived in a many worlds approach via world counting, using a finite number of worlds and no new fundamental physics.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#sentencerolethe authors' own workstates the main conclusionstrength
s0 In Everett's many worlds interpretation, where quantum measurements are seen as decoherence events, inexact decoherence may let large worlds mangle the memories of observers in small worlds, creating a cutoff in observable world size. background 1.00 0.08 0.10 hedged possibility 1.00
s1 I solve a growth-drift-diffusion-absorption model of such a mangled worlds scenario, and show that it reproduces the Born probability rule closely, though not exactly. contribution 0.63 0.95 0.37 asserted 1.00
s2 Thus deviations from exact decoherence can allow the Born rule to be derived in a many worlds approach via world counting, using a finite number of worlds and no new fundamental physics. interpretation 0.99 0.77 0.86 asserted 0.72

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: theoretical result 0.99 · evidence from proof or derivation 0.63.

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  • arXiv listing abstract v2
not examined
  • full text
  • figures and tables
  • references and citing sentences
  • relations to other papers
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  • P abstract
not run
  • S sections
  • T body sentences
  • C citations
  • R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper
Original abstract

In Everett's many worlds interpretation, where quantum measurements are seen as decoherence events, inexact decoherence may let large worlds mangle the memories of observers in small worlds, creating a cutoff in observable world size. I solve a growth-drift-diffusion-absorption model of such a mangled worlds scenario, and show that it reproduces the Born probability rule closely, though not exactly. Thus deviations from exact decoherence can allow the Born rule to be derived in a many worlds approach via world counting, using a finite number of worlds and no new fundamental physics.

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