Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Jordan Journal of Physics

The Many-Worlds Interpretation versus the Copenhagen Interpretation: A Case Discussion with the Hydrogen Atom

Rabah Ladj, Nour Bensiradj, Salah Eddine Aid

Published Oct 31, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract: The main objective of this work is to compare the interpretations of the hydrogen atom spectrum according to two famous schools in quantum mechanics: Copenhagen and many-worlds. The Schrodinger equation is solved using the many-worlds interpretation, and the results are then compared to those obtained using the Copenhagen interpretation. While the energy spectra are similar in both cases, the interpretations of these results differ. In the many-worlds interpretation, the eigenvectors are entangled across multiple worlds, whereas, in the Copenhagen interpretation, they are superimposed. The hydrogen atom, being a system of only one electron and without electron-electron interaction, serves as a clear and accessible example for comparing these interpretations. In this case, the wave function depends on independent coordinates and is written as a tensor product of independent functions, even before solving the Schrödinger equation. In more complex systems where there are electron-electron, electron-nucleus, nucleus-nucleus, and other interactions, the wave function should be written as a tensor product of entangled states after solving the Schrodinger equation. The aim of this study is to demonstrate to physics and chemistry teachers and students that there are different ways to view the quantum world. The many-worlds interpretation is simply another way of interpreting the solutions of the Schrodinger equation, rather than a new mathematical approach. The present work emphasizes the importance of understanding different interpretations of quantum mechanics and their implications for understanding the physical world. Keywords: Hydrogen atom spectrum, Schrodinger equation, Copenhagen school, Many-worlds interpretation.

DOI
10.47011/17.4.3

Related papers

Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. A view of our universe

Ingvar Lindgren, J. Weiland

The interpretation of quantum mechanics has been disputed ever since the advent of the theory in the 1920’s. Famous are the discussions over long time between Einstein and Bohr. Einstein refused to accept the so‐called Copenhagen interpretation, where the wave function collapses at a measurement and where the outcome of the measurement is essentially accidental (“God does not play dice”). Alternative interpretations have appeared, but the Copenhagen school has dominated the thoughts throughout the decades. One interesting interpretation was formulated in 1957 by Hugh Everett at Princeton, a student of John Wheeler, which abandons the wave‐function collapse. In this model the universe is governed entirely by the Schrödinger equation, which does not allow for any collapse. In Everett’s model after a measurement the wave function is separated into different branches that do not interact. This model was left unnoticed for long time until Bryce DeWitt took it up in 1970 and termed it “Many‐Worlds Interpretation”, a term that in some sense is misleading. Everett’s model is incomplete, and it was later supplemented by the theory of decoherence, which explains how the different branches decouple as a result of the interaction with the environment. This extended model has in recent years gained increased respect, and some believe that it is the only model made available so far that is fully consistent with quantum mechanics. This interpretation can also shed some light on the development of the universe and, in particular, on the so‐called Anthropic principle, which puts human beings at the center of the development.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2009•0 citations

A Comparative Epistemological study between Copenhagen and Many World’s Quantum Mechanics Interpretations, with a Simple Educational Application

Rabah Ladj

Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of the quantum objects, but the description and the interpretation of its basic principles; (nature of the wave, interpretations of: superposition principle, complementary principle, and uncertainly principle), these latter have had many debates concerning their meanings and their concepts between the scientists. Since\nthe beginning of its appearance until today, many different interpretations between many schools and scientists have emerged, about the descriptions of quantum mechanics. In our present contribution, a modest modeling for many worlds interpretation is presented, followed by solving and interpreting a famous example “particle in an infinite square potential\nwell”, using our modeling and then, a comparison between Copenhagen and many world interpretations.

Latin American journal of physics education•Jan 1, 2017•1 citation

Quantum Mechanics and Multi-World Interpretation—A Dialogue between a Cat and Everett

Tiantian Yang, Hailiang Che

Quantum mechanics is an important understanding of modern physics, and one of China’s first quantum experimental satellites is also launched in July of this year, but around the confusion about the interpretation of quantum philosophy, yet there has not a perfect answer today. “Schrodinger’s cat” is put forward by the Austrian physicist Schrodinger in 1935; it is a name for a quantum state, its production not only has its specific physical incentives, but also has the corresponding philosophical roots. Everett, the author of the “multi-world explanation”, explains that the explanation of “multi-world explanation” to the quantum philosophy from the point of view of Schrodinger’s cat in physics has not only helped us understand the nature of quantum mechanics, to solve the philosophical controversy that has revolved around quantum mechanics, but also deepened our understanding of multi-world interpretations where physics and philosophy blend. This article starts with the famous experiment Schrödinger’s Cat and then tells us two well-known answers to quantum mechanics in the history, that is the Copenhagen Interpretation and the Multi-World Interpretation. By comparing the differences between the two, it emphasis on the correctness of the “multi-world interpretation”. Then it can deepen our understanding of the concept of “Schrodinger’s Cat”, “Quantum Mechanics” and multi-world interpretations.

Open Journal of Social Sciences•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Many Worlds or Many Words?

Max Tegmark

As cutting-edge experiments display ever more extreme forms of non-classical behavior, the prevailing view on the interpretation of quantum mechanics appears to be gradually changing. A (highly unscientific) poll taken at the 1997 UMBC quantum mechanics workshop gave the once all-dominant Copenhagen interpretation less than half of the votes. The Many Worlds interpretation (MWI) scored second, comfortably a head of the Consistent Histories and Bohm interpretations. It is argued that since all the above-mentioned approaches to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics give identical cookbook prescriptions for how to calculate things in practice, practical-minded experimentalists, who have traditionally adopted the “shut-up-and-calculate interpretation”, typically show little interest in whether cozy classical concepts are in fact real in some untestable metaphysical sense or merely the way we subjectively perceive a mathematically simpler world where the Schrödinger equation describes everything – and that they are therefore becoming less bothered by a profusion of worlds than by a profusion of words. Common objections to the MWI are discussed. It is argued that when environment-induced decoherence is taken into account, the experimental predictions of the MWI are identical to those of the Copenhagen interpretation except for an experiment involving a Byzantine form of “quantum suicide”. This makes the choice between them purely a matter of taste, roughly equivalent to whether one believes mathematical language or human language to be more fundamental.

arXiv:quant-ph/9709032•Fortschritte der Physik•Nov 1, 1998•175 citations

Why is the Solution of the Schrödinger Equation not a Miracle in Quantum Chemistry? A Perspective From the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

Lieu Le Quang, Liviu Giurgiulescu, Khiem Tran Ngoc +1 more

The Schrödinger equation is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics and is used to determine the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. However, in the teaching of Quantum Chemistry, many students tend to regard the solutions of the Schrödinger equation as purely mathematical results without fully understanding the physical origin of quantum energy levels. In this paper, an approximate model of the hydrogen atom is first developed based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the Coulomb potential. This model is then used to derive the Bohr radius and the ground-state energy by minimizing the total energy function. Subsequently, the time-independent Schrödinger equation is formulated and solved by the method of separation of variables in spherical coordinates to obtain the exact energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The results demonstrate that both the approximate model and the exact solution predict the same ground-state energy, E1 = −13.6 eV, while the Schrödinger equation further generalizes this result to the quantized energy spectrum, En = −13.6/n2. These findings indicate that the solutions of the Schrödinger equation are not "miraculous" mathematical outcomes but rather the inevitable consequences of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. This approach provides a clearer physical interpretation of quantum energy levels and offers significant pedagogical value for the teaching of Quantum Chemistry.

Technical Education Science/Giáo dục Kỹ thuật•Sep 17, 2026•0 citations

The feasibility of many-worlds as the leading interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Martijn Hidding

This thesis takes a look at the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) and discusses if it can become the leading interpretation of quantum mechanics. Firstly the Copenhagen interpretation is outlined and its issues relating to the measurement problem are discussed while taking recent insights in decoherence theory into account. Establishing that wave-function collapse still yields interpretational issues, I discuss the ideas of Hugh Everett, who proposed the many-worlds interpretation, and David Wallace who is a prominent advocate of the MWI. In particular I discuss and review Wallace's arguments in favor of viewing the wave-function and the many worlds realistically. The next part shortly focuses on the testability of the many-worlds interpretation and the philosophical and theoretical issues relating to probability in the MWI. I end by concluding that the no-collapse interpretations are preferable to the Copenhagen interpretation, and I argue in favor of a realistic view towards all of the worlds. Furthermore, I conclude that standard textbooks on quantum mechanics should be updated to introduce students to the insight that wave-function collapse isn't needed in forming a complete theory of quantum mechanics.

•Aug 26, 2014•0 citations
Abstract: The main objective of this work is to compare the interpretations of the hydrogen atom spectrum according to two famous schools in quantum mechanics: Copenhagen and many-worlds. The Schrodinger equation is solved using the many-worlds interpretation, and the results are then compared to those obtained using the Copenhagen interpretation. While the energy spectra are similar in both cases, the interpretations of these results differ. In the many-worlds interpretation, the eigenvectors are entangled across multiple worlds, whereas, in the Copenhagen interpretation, they are superimposed. The hydrogen atom, being a system of only one electron and without electron-electron interaction, serves as a clear and accessible example for comparing these interpretations. In this case, the wave function depends on independent coordinates and is written as a tensor product of independent functions, even before solving the Schrödinger equation. In more complex systems where there are electron-electron, electron-nucleus, nucleus-nucleus, and other interactions, the wave function should be written as a tensor product of entangled states after solving the Schrodinger equation. The aim of this study is to demonstrate to physics and chemistry teachers and students that there are different ways to view the quantum world. The many-worlds interpretation is simply another way of interpreting the solutions of the Schrodinger equation, rather than a new mathematical approach. The present work emphasizes the importance of understanding different interpretations of quantum mechanics and their implications for understanding the physical world. Keywords: Hydrogen atom spectrum, Schrodinger equation, Copenhagen school, Many-worlds interpretation.
The interpretation of quantum mechanics has been disputed ever since the advent of the theory in the 1920’s. Famous are the discussions over long time between Einstein and Bohr. Einstein refused to accept the so‐called Copenhagen interpretation, where the wave function collapses at a measurement and where the outcome of the measurement is essentially accidental (“God does not play dice”). Alternative interpretations have appeared, but the Copenhagen school has dominated the thoughts throughout the decades. One interesting interpretation was formulated in 1957 by Hugh Everett at Princeton, a student of John Wheeler, which abandons the wave‐function collapse. In this model the universe is governed entirely by the Schrödinger equation, which does not allow for any collapse. In Everett’s model after a measurement the wave function is separated into different branches that do not interact. This model was left unnoticed for long time until Bryce DeWitt took it up in 1970 and termed it “Many‐Worlds Interpretation”, a term that in some sense is misleading. Everett’s model is incomplete, and it was later supplemented by the theory of decoherence, which explains how the different branches decouple as a result of the interaction with the environment. This extended model has in recent years gained increased respect, and some believe that it is the only model made available so far that is fully consistent with quantum mechanics. This interpretation can also shed some light on the development of the universe and, in particular, on the so‐called Anthropic principle, which puts human beings at the center of the development.
Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of the quantum objects, but the description and the interpretation of its basic principles; (nature of the wave, interpretations of: superposition principle, complementary principle, and uncertainly principle), these latter have had many debates concerning their meanings and their concepts between the scientists. Since\nthe beginning of its appearance until today, many different interpretations between many schools and scientists have emerged, about the descriptions of quantum mechanics. In our present contribution, a modest modeling for many worlds interpretation is presented, followed by solving and interpreting a famous example “particle in an infinite square potential\nwell”, using our modeling and then, a comparison between Copenhagen and many world interpretations.
Quantum mechanics is an important understanding of modern physics, and one of China’s first quantum experimental satellites is also launched in July of this year, but around the confusion about the interpretation of quantum philosophy, yet there has not a perfect answer today. “Schrodinger’s cat” is put forward by the Austrian physicist Schrodinger in 1935; it is a name for a quantum state, its production not only has its specific physical incentives, but also has the corresponding philosophical roots. Everett, the author of the “multi-world explanation”, explains that the explanation of “multi-world explanation” to the quantum philosophy from the point of view of Schrodinger’s cat in physics has not only helped us understand the nature of quantum mechanics, to solve the philosophical controversy that has revolved around quantum mechanics, but also deepened our understanding of multi-world interpretations where physics and philosophy blend. This article starts with the famous experiment Schrödinger’s Cat and then tells us two well-known answers to quantum mechanics in the history, that is the Copenhagen Interpretation and the Multi-World Interpretation. By comparing the differences between the two, it emphasis on the correctness of the “multi-world interpretation”. Then it can deepen our understanding of the concept of “Schrodinger’s Cat”, “Quantum Mechanics” and multi-world interpretations.
As cutting-edge experiments display ever more extreme forms of non-classical behavior, the prevailing view on the interpretation of quantum mechanics appears to be gradually changing. A (highly unscientific) poll taken at the 1997 UMBC quantum mechanics workshop gave the once all-dominant Copenhagen interpretation less than half of the votes. The Many Worlds interpretation (MWI) scored second, comfortably a head of the Consistent Histories and Bohm interpretations. It is argued that since all the above-mentioned approaches to nonrelativistic quantum mechanics give identical cookbook prescriptions for how to calculate things in practice, practical-minded experimentalists, who have traditionally adopted the “shut-up-and-calculate interpretation”, typically show little interest in whether cozy classical concepts are in fact real in some untestable metaphysical sense or merely the way we subjectively perceive a mathematically simpler world where the Schrödinger equation describes everything – and that they are therefore becoming less bothered by a profusion of worlds than by a profusion of words. Common objections to the MWI are discussed. It is argued that when environment-induced decoherence is taken into account, the experimental predictions of the MWI are identical to those of the Copenhagen interpretation except for an experiment involving a Byzantine form of “quantum suicide”. This makes the choice between them purely a matter of taste, roughly equivalent to whether one believes mathematical language or human language to be more fundamental.
The Schrödinger equation is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics and is used to determine the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. However, in the teaching of Quantum Chemistry, many students tend to regard the solutions of the Schrödinger equation as purely mathematical results without fully understanding the physical origin of quantum energy levels. In this paper, an approximate model of the hydrogen atom is first developed based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the Coulomb potential. This model is then used to derive the Bohr radius and the ground-state energy by minimizing the total energy function. Subsequently, the time-independent Schrödinger equation is formulated and solved by the method of separation of variables in spherical coordinates to obtain the exact energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The results demonstrate that both the approximate model and the exact solution predict the same ground-state energy, E1 = −13.6 eV, while the Schrödinger equation further generalizes this result to the quantized energy spectrum, En = −13.6/n2. These findings indicate that the solutions of the Schrödinger equation are not "miraculous" mathematical outcomes but rather the inevitable consequences of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. This approach provides a clearer physical interpretation of quantum energy levels and offers significant pedagogical value for the teaching of Quantum Chemistry.
This thesis takes a look at the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) and discusses if it can become the leading interpretation of quantum mechanics. Firstly the Copenhagen interpretation is outlined and its issues relating to the measurement problem are discussed while taking recent insights in decoherence theory into account. Establishing that wave-function collapse still yields interpretational issues, I discuss the ideas of Hugh Everett, who proposed the many-worlds interpretation, and David Wallace who is a prominent advocate of the MWI. In particular I discuss and review Wallace's arguments in favor of viewing the wave-function and the many worlds realistically. The next part shortly focuses on the testability of the many-worlds interpretation and the philosophical and theoretical issues relating to probability in the MWI. I end by concluding that the no-collapse interpretations are preferable to the Copenhagen interpretation, and I argue in favor of a realistic view towards all of the worlds. Furthermore, I conclude that standard textbooks on quantum mechanics should be updated to introduce students to the insight that wave-function collapse isn't needed in forming a complete theory of quantum mechanics.