Randomness in Classical Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics

Jeffrey Bub

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov, Börje Nilsson, Louis Fishman +2 more

This paper is an attempt to reproduce predictions of quantum mechanics (QM) on probability of detection by starting with classical random field (e.g. random electromagnetic field). Thus it is an attempt to go beyond QM. The crucial point of our approach is that density operators of QM can be represented as covariance operators of classical random fields. Born’s rule can be obtained from measurement theory for classical random field under the assumption that the probability of detection of field is proportional to the power of this field.

Detlef Dürr, Sheldon Goldstein, Nino Zanghı̀

Marek Kuś

I show how classical and quantum physics approach the problem of randomness and probability. Contrary to popular opinions, neither we can prove that classical mechanics is a deterministic theory, nor that quantum mechanics is a nondeterministic one. In other words it is not possible to show that randomness in classical mechanics has a purely epistemic character and that of quantum mechanics an ontic one. Nevertheless, recent developments of quantum theory and increasing experimental possibilities to check its predictions call for returning to the problem of comparing possibilities given by classical and quantum physics to accommodate and prove the existence of a `genuine randomness'. Recent results concerning `amplification of randomness' show that, in certain sense, quantum physics is in fact ‘more random’ that classical and outperforms it in producing a `truly random process'.

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov

One of the crucial differences between mathematical models of classical and quantum mechanics (QM) is the use of the tensor product of the state spaces of subsystems as the state space of the corresponding composite system. (To describe an ensemble of classical composite systems, one uses random variables taking values in the Cartesian product of the state spaces of subsystems.) We show that, nevertheless, it is possible to establish a natural correspondence between the classical and the quantum probabilistic descriptions of composite systems. Quantum averages for composite systems (including entangled) can be represented as averages with respect to classical random fields. It is essentially what Albert Einstein dreamed of. QM is represented as classical statistical mechanics with infinite-dimensional phase space. While the mathematical construction is completely rigorous, its physical interpretation is a complicated problem. We present the basic physical interpretation of prequantum classical statistical field theory in Sec. II. However, this is only the first step toward real physical theory.

Detlef D�rr, Sheldon Goldstein, Nino Zanghı̀