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Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics

Inherent properties and statistics with individual particles in quantum mechanics

Matteo Morganti

Published Aug 1, 2009• 22 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1016/j.shpsb.2009.06.008

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The treatment of identical particles in quantum mechanics rests on two (related) principles: the spin‐statistics connection and the Symmetrization Postulate. In light of recent theories (such as q‐deformed commutators) that allow for ‘small’ violations of the spin‐statistics connection and the Symmetrization Postulate, we revisit the issue of how quantum mechanics deals with identical particles and how it supports or fails to support various philosophical stances concerning individuality. As a consequence of the expanded possibilities for quantum statistics, we argue that permutation symmetry is best formulated as a formal property of the state function describing the system of particles rather than as a property of the individual particles.1 Introduction2 Philosophical background2.1 Important terminology2.1.1 Identity2.1.2 Indistinguishability2.1.3 Indiscernibility2.2 When are particles indistinguishable?2.3 The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and quantum mechanics2.4 The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and logic2.5 Particle history2.6 Transcendental individuality3 Some quantum formalism3.1 The Principle of Permutation Invariance and the Symmetrization Postulate3.2 The configuration‐space approach3.3 Commutators and anticommutators, and identical particle statistics3.4 Q‐mutators4 Identical particle statistics: a holistic point of view5 Conclusions
This chapter introduces fundamental laws of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. It offers concise overviews of thermodynamics, probability theory, and statistical mechanics, which are crucial for studying multi-particle systems. A comprehensive discussion of the statistical behavior of many-particle systems in terms of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics is included. The significance of probability in quantum mechanics is emphasized in terms of all the (multiple) states available to a single particle. Definitions of thermodynamic variables and statistical parameters are necessary for understanding quantum statistical field theories, which bridge individual particle behavior and averaged thermodynamic properties.
For nearly a century, quantum mechanics (QM) has established itself as an exceptionally effective framework for predicting the collective movements and statistical distributions of particles. However, its predictive success comes with a significant conceptual cost: the apparent abandonment of local realism. When one attempts to apply the standard quantum formalism at the scale of an individual particle, paradoxes inevitably arise. This article argues that these contradictions are not intrinsic properties of nature, but rather stem from a fundamental category error: the misapplication of ensemble statistical laws to individual events, which unrightfully promotes statistical averages to instantaneous physical realities. To address the root cause of this conceptual deviation, we must establish a foundational axiom: the Principle of Particle Reality. This principle posits that if a particle exists as a real entity, it must inherently possess definite physical properties—such as a precise polarization, velocity, and trajectory—independent of our capacity to detect them. Ignoring this ontology has led the standard model to treat physical realities as abstract paradoxes. To resolve them, this work proposes a unified reconsideration of three main pillars of quantum interpretation. First, regarding locality, we demonstrate that a polarizer does not create a state but merely reveals a pre-existing polarization. The concrete proof lies in the reduction of a beam’s intensity, which is fundamentally a physical drop in the number of transmitted particles. By establishing a physical equivalence between parallel and sequential measurements via the principle of Statistical Identity, we show that exact quantum correlations emerge directly from a particle-by-particle application of the strictly positive classical Malus’s law (0 ≤ p ≤ 1). This successfully explains the violation of Bell’s inequalities within a strictly local framework, bypassing the non-physical negative quasi-probabilities encountered in previous angular hidden-variable models. Secondly, on the illusion of state superposition, we show that failing to recognize that an interferometer physically and deterministically alters the polarization orientation of a particle led to an abstract formulation; in reality, this involves a deterministic geometric transformation of probability distributions. Finally, addressing wave-particle duality, we challenge the standard postulate of artificial simultaneity in the double-slit configuration, which caused a deep confusion between the collective behavior of a group and the sequential passage of an individual entity. We introduce an “event-by-event” formulation where interference fringes emerge instead from temporal correlations preserved by the non-commutativity of averaging. By restoring the strict distinction between statistical ensemble laws and individual reality through the Principle of Particle Reality, this work aims to definitively end “quantum geocentrism” and to lay the foundations for a coherent, local, and realistic sub-quantum physics.