On the Principles That Serve as Guides to the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Gerd Christian Krizek

A physical theory consists of the mathematical formalism and an interpretation, which contains the definition of symbols, measurement assignments, concepts and principles, and an ontology. We present a scheme to classify these different levels of a physical theory and apply it to Newtonian Mechanics and the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. We show that this classification scheme is embedded in the methodology of philosophy of science. With this scheme, different interpretations of Quantum Mechanics can be compared concerning the formalism and the used conceptions, and it serves as a guidance to identify ontological entities and reality conceptions in the different interpretations. Inspired by the commitments on the ontological level, we propose two heuristics concerning ontological statements.

Shan Gao

Karim P. Y. Thébault

The ontic structural realist stance is motivated by a desire to do philosophical justice to the success of science, whilst withstanding the metaphysical undermining generated by the various species of ontological underdetermination. We are, however, as yet in want of general principles to provide a scaffold for the explicit construction of structural ontologies. Here we will attempt to bridge this gap by utilizing the formal procedure of quantization as a guide to ontic structure of modern physical theory. The example of non-relativistic particle mechanics will be considered and, for that case, it will be shown that a viable candidate for an ontic structural realism framework can be constituted in terms of the combination of a state-space with Poisson bracket structure, and a set of observables, with Lie algebra structure. 1 Introduction2 Formulation Underdetermination and Structural Ontologies3 Quantization and Structural Ontologies4 The Case of Non-relativistic Particle Mechanics 4.1 Formulation underdetermination 4.2 The classical ontology 4.3 Quantum theory and the generalized structural ontology 4.4 Interpretation of results5 Conclusion and Prospects

Joachim Stolze

This introductory text on the basics of quantum mechanics is intended to serve as a kind of travel guide through the quantum world. It starts by asking whether quantum physics is important, or weird, or incomprehensible. It explains why particles sometimes behave like waves, and how uncertainty and randomness enter physics, before explaining a number of historically important experiments. Modern topics, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantum computing are also covered. Essential concepts, such as the uncertainty principle, are analyzed in depth, employing a slightly increased dose of mathematics. This is the English version of the first part of a manual intended as a companion to the "Treffpunkt Quantenmechanik" (meeting point quantum mechanics), a laboratory at TU Dortmund University, where high-school students can get acquainted with the wonderful world of quantum physics. The second part of the manual contains detailed instructions for the individual experiments available in the lab and is not available on the Internet.

Shan Gao