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Canadian Journal of Physics

The uncertainty principle and the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics

L. E. Ballentine

Published Nov 1, 1969• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It is reemphasized that the uncertainty principle applies to state preparation rather than to measurement. An objection by Robinson to the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics is shown to be unjustified.
DOI
10.1139/p69-295

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The Statistical Interpretation of quantum theory is formulated for the purpose of providing a sound interpretation using a minimum of assumptions. Several arguments are advanced in favor of considering the quantum state description to apply only to an ensemble of similarily prepared systems, rather than supposing, as is often done, that it exhaustively represents an individual physical system. Most of the problems associated with the quantum theory of measurement are artifacts of the attempt to maintain the latter interpretation. The introduction of hidden variables to determine the outcome of individual events is fully compatible with the statistical predictions of quantum theory. However, a theorem due to Bell seems to require that any such hidden-variable theory which reproduces all of quantum mechanics exactly (i.e., not merely in some limiting case) must possess a rather pathological character with respect to correlated, but spacially separated, systems.
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