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Oxford University Press eBooks

Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Bas C. van Fraassen

Published Sep 26, 1991• 4 citations

Abstract

The world of quantum theory is not deterministic; however, the quantum theory of an isolated system describes its state as evolving deterministically.How can these two points be reconciled? The modal interpretation (of which a number of variants have been developed) answers this as follows. An observable may have a value even if the system is not in the corresponding eigenstate of that observable. The state of the system only constrains the possible values the observable can have, and (at least under certain conditions) the probabilities that it has those values. Hence, the eigenvalue–eigenstate link is violated. There is no collapse; the state of an isolated system always evolves in accordance with the Schroedinger equation. Hence the values of observables can change indeterministically, though this stochastic process is constrained by the deterministically evolving quantum state. Terminology varies but in this book the quantum state is then called the dynamical state, and a summary of the values of the observables pertaining to the system is called the value state. Since not all observables are mutually compatible, they will not all have simultaneous sharp values, but for each there is a minimum Borel set of values as its current range. The specific modal interpretation developed here is the Copenhagen Variant of the Modal Interpretation, which places holistic constraints on values of observables pertaining to parts of composite systems.

DOI: 10.1093/0198239807.003.0009

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The world of quantum theory is not deterministic; however, the quantum theory of an isolated system describes its state as evolving deterministically.How can these two points be reconciled? The modal interpretation (of which a number of variants have been developed) answers this as follows. An observable may have a value even if the system is not in the corresponding eigenstate of that observable. The state of the system only constrains the possible values the observable can have, and (at least under certain conditions) the probabilities that it has those values. Hence, the eigenvalue–eigenstate link is violated. There is no collapse; the state of an isolated system always evolves in accordance with the Schroedinger equation. Hence the values of observables can change indeterministically, though this stochastic process is constrained by the deterministically evolving quantum state. Terminology varies but in this book the quantum state is then called the dynamical state, and a summary of the values of the observables pertaining to the system is called the value state. Since not all observables are mutually compatible, they will not all have simultaneous sharp values, but for each there is a minimum Borel set of values as its current range. The specific modal interpretation developed here is the Copenhagen Variant of the Modal Interpretation, which places holistic constraints on values of observables pertaining to parts of composite systems.

We describe an interpretation of quantum mechanics based on reduced density matrices of sub-systems from which the standard Copenhagen interpretation emerges as an effective description for macro-systems. The interpretation is a modal one, but does not suffer from the range of problems that plague other modal interpretations. The key feature is that quantum states carry an additional property assignment in the form of one the eigenvectors of the reduced density matrix which evolves evolves according to a stochastic process driven by the unmodified Schrodinger equation, but it is usually hidden from the emergent classical description due to the ergodic nature of its dynamics. However, during a quantum measurement, ergodicity is broken by decoherence and definite outcomes occur with probabilities that agree with the Born rule.

We introduce a realist, unextravagant interpretation of quantum theory that builds on the existing physical structure of the theory and allows experiments to have definite outcomes, but leaves the theory's basic dynamical content essentially intact. Much as classical systems have specific states that evolve along definite trajectories through configuration spaces, the traditional formulation of quantum theory asserts that closed quantum systems have specific states that evolve unitarily along definite trajectories through Hilbert spaces, and our interpretation extends this intuitive picture of states and Hilbert-space trajectories to the case of open quantum systems as well. We provide independent justification for the partial-trace operation for density matrices, reformulate wave-function collapse in terms of an underlying interpolating dynamics, derive the Born rule from deeper principles, resolve several open questions regarding ontological stability and dynamics, address a number of familiar no-go theorems, and argue that our interpretation is ultimately compatible with Lorentz invariance. Along the way, we also investigate a number of unexplored features of quantum theory, including an interesting geometrical structure---which we call subsystem space---that we believe merits further study. We include an appendix that briefly reviews the traditional Copenhagen interpretation and the measurement problem of quantum theory, as well as the instrumentalist approach and a collection of foundational theorems not otherwise discussed in the main text.

Modal interpretations of quantum mechanics admit two kinds of state: physical states, which specify the values of observables on a system, and theoretical states, which specify a probability distribution over possible physical states. They appear to use this distinction to deny the projection postulate, claiming that collapse corresponds only to a change from discussing the theoretical state to discussing the physical state. I argue that modal interpretations should adopt a projection postulate at the level of the theoretical state. However, other features of modal interpretations might render the projection postulate immune from the usual objections.

Consider the general form of the state of a quantum system, (eq. 1), where the are (non-degenerate) eigenvectors of an operator, A, corresponding to an observable, A. According to the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics (the precise details of which do not concern me here), A does not have a definite value on the system in the state . But now suppose we measure A by coupling the system to a measuring apparatus. The composite system is then (eq. 2) where the are the indicator-states of the apparatus. Again, the standard interpretation tells us that the apparatus is not in a definite indicator-state. But how can this be? Measurements do have definite results. The apparatus is always in a definite state. I have just reviewed one version of the measurement problem. The modal interpretation of quantum mechanics proposes a solution.

This book is about how to understand quantum mechanics by means of a modal interpretation. Modal interpretations provide a general framework within which quantum mechanics can be considered as a theory that describes reality in terms of physical systems possessing definite properties. Quantum mechanics is standardly understood to be a theory about probabilities with which measurements have outcomes. Modal interpretations are relatively new attempts to present quantum mechanics as a theory which, like other physical theories, describes an observer-independent reality. In this book, Pieter Vermaas summarises the results of this work. The book will be of great value to undergraduates, graduate students and researchers in philosophy of science, and physics departments with an interest in learning about modal interpretations of quantum mechanics.

It is argued that although quantum theory isn't an absolutely deterministic theory, it is partially deterministic. The approach followed here is in the framework of the standard (Copenhagen interpretation of) quantum mechanics without any additional assumption or alternative interpretation. The argument is based on the conceptual meaning of determinism and by means of some well-known phenomena in the quantum world (measurement of a quantum particle spin, energy values and spatial states of an electron in atoms, the so-called wavefunction collapse problem) which are usually considered in rejecting determinism.