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arXiv:2608.18829 · Elsevier eBooks

Hidden Variables in Quantum Mechanics: A Journey Into de Broglie-Bohm Pilot-Wave Theory

Andréa Oldofredi

Published Oct 23, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF
DOI
10.1016/b978-0-443-40622-5.00154-7

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The original version of the de Broglie-Bohm pilot-wave theory, also called Bohmian mechanics, attempted to treat the wave function or pilot wave as a part of the physical ontology of nature. More recent versions of the de Broglie-Bohm theory appearing in the last few decades have tried to regard the pilot wave instead as an aspect of the theory's nomology, or dynamical laws. This paper argues that neither of these views is correct, and that the de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave is best understood as a collection of latent variables in the sense of a hidden Markov model, a construct that was not available when de Broglie and Bohm originally formulated what became their pilot-wave theory. This paper also discusses several other challenges for the ontological view of the pilot wave. One such challenge is due to Foldy-Wouthuysen gauge transformations, which connect up with the Deotto-Ghirardi ambiguity in the de Broglie-Bohm theory. Another challenge arises from the freedom to carry out canonical transformations in the wave function's own notion of phase space, as defined by Strocchi and Heslot.

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The de Broglie–Bohm interpretation (Bohmian mechanics, hidden-variables theory, causal interpretation or pilot-wave theory) is one of the interpretations of quantum mechanics which opposes to the claim of standard interpretation on the completeness of description of the state of quantummechanical system, that description in Bohmian mechanics is completed by defining positions of the particles of the system i.e. hidden variables and their dynamics. These facts are the basis of motivation for the introduction of a new theory that can describe dubious axiomatic requirements of standard interpretation. The presented theory is deterministic and explicitly nonlocal. Originators of Bohmian mechanics were L. de Broglie (1927.) and D. Bohm (1952.) who presented mathematically more general and conceptual elaborate formulation. Along with the historical overview, a note is given about the main properties of the theory, such as the issue of nonlocality and hidden variables. The aim of this paper is to present and explain the main ideas and properties of the theory as well as to give a systematic overview of present and historical mathematical construction of the theory and most of all to discuss implications of de Broglie–Bohm theory on the ontology of quantum-mechanical picture, showcasing examples of the equivalency of the description of a free particle as a propagation of the plane wave in space or as the ensemble of the trajectories and of the spreading of the Gaussian wave packet. The main example of the obvious conceptual clashing of the interpretations is presented: the double-slit experiment, with a detailed examination of the Bohmian mechanics’ predictions using presented formalism on the two double-slit experiment. The graphs of trajectories for given examples are obtained.

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Hidden Variables in Quantum Mechanics Reconsidered

Stanley Gudder

Reviews of Modern Physics•Jan 1, 1968•34 citations
The original version of the de Broglie-Bohm pilot-wave theory, also called Bohmian mechanics, attempted to treat the wave function or pilot wave as a part of the physical ontology of nature. More recent versions of the de Broglie-Bohm theory appearing in the last few decades have tried to regard the pilot wave instead as an aspect of the theory's nomology, or dynamical laws. This paper argues that neither of these views is correct, and that the de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave is best understood as a collection of latent variables in the sense of a hidden Markov model, a construct that was not available when de Broglie and Bohm originally formulated what became their pilot-wave theory. This paper also discusses several other challenges for the ontological view of the pilot wave. One such challenge is due to Foldy-Wouthuysen gauge transformations, which connect up with the Deotto-Ghirardi ambiguity in the de Broglie-Bohm theory. Another challenge arises from the freedom to carry out canonical transformations in the wave function's own notion of phase space, as defined by Strocchi and Heslot.
The de Broglie–Bohm interpretation (Bohmian mechanics, hidden-variables theory, causal interpretation or pilot-wave theory) is one of the interpretations of quantum mechanics which opposes to the claim of standard interpretation on the completeness of description of the state of quantummechanical system, that description in Bohmian mechanics is completed by defining positions of the particles of the system i.e. hidden variables and their dynamics. These facts are the basis of motivation for the introduction of a new theory that can describe dubious axiomatic requirements of standard interpretation. The presented theory is deterministic and explicitly nonlocal. Originators of Bohmian mechanics were L. de Broglie (1927.) and D. Bohm (1952.) who presented mathematically more general and conceptual elaborate formulation. Along with the historical overview, a note is given about the main properties of the theory, such as the issue of nonlocality and hidden variables. The aim of this paper is to present and explain the main ideas and properties of the theory as well as to give a systematic overview of present and historical mathematical construction of the theory and most of all to discuss implications of de Broglie–Bohm theory on the ontology of quantum-mechanical picture, showcasing examples of the equivalency of the description of a free particle as a propagation of the plane wave in space or as the ensemble of the trajectories and of the spreading of the Gaussian wave packet. The main example of the obvious conceptual clashing of the interpretations is presented: the double-slit experiment, with a detailed examination of the Bohmian mechanics’ predictions using presented formalism on the two double-slit experiment. The graphs of trajectories for given examples are obtained.