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Why isn’t every physicist a Bohmian? Common objections and their response

O. Passon

Published Apr 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides a very brief introduction to the de Broglie-Bohm theory and collects, classifies and evaluates common criticism against this interpretation of quantum mechanics. The objections include: Ockham’s razor, asymmetry in the de Broglie-Bohm theory, return (or departure) from established principles, underdetermination of the theory, the status of the quantum equilibrium hypothesis, the “surreal trajectory” problem and the question of relativistic and quantum field theoretical generalizations. All these points give rise to interesting debates that deepen the understanding of quantum theory. However, no objection seems to be so strong that it leads to a necessary rejection of the de Broglie-Bohm theory. The whole debate highlights that even in science theories can not solely be evaluated based on their empirical confirmation.

DOI
10.1093/oso/9780198901853.003.0002

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Abstract This chapter provides a very brief introduction to the de Broglie-Bohm theory and collects, classifies and evaluates common criticism against this interpretation of quantum mechanics. The objections include: Ockham’s razor, asymmetry in the de Broglie-Bohm theory, return (or departure) from established principles, underdetermination of the theory, the status of the quantum equilibrium hypothesis, the “surreal trajectory” problem and the question of relativistic and quantum field theoretical generalizations. All these points give rise to interesting debates that deepen the understanding of quantum theory. However, no objection seems to be so strong that it leads to a necessary rejection of the de Broglie-Bohm theory. The whole debate highlights that even in science theories can not solely be evaluated based on their empirical confirmation.
This note collects, classifies and evaluates common criticism against the de Broglie Bohm theory, including Ockham's razor, asymmetry in the de Broglie Bohm theory, the ``surreal trajectory'' problem, the underdetermination of the de Broglie Bohm theory and the question of relativistic and quantum field theoretical generalizations of the de Broglie Bohm theory. We argue that none of these objections provide a rigorous disproof, they rather highlight that even in science theories can not solely be evaluated based on their empirical confirmation.
Bohmian mechanics also known as de Broglie-Bohm theory is the most popular alternative approach to quantum mechanics. Whereas the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics is based on the complementarity principle Bohmian mechanics assumes that both particle and wave are concrete physical objects. In 1993 Peter Holland has written an ardent account on the plausibility of the de Broglie-Bohm theory. He proved that it fully reproduces quantum mechanics if the initial particle distribution is consistent with a solution of the Schrödinger equation. Which may be the reasons that Bohmian mechanics has not yet found global acceptance? In this article it will be shown that predicted properties of atoms and molecules are in conflict with experimental findings. Moreover it will be demonstrated that repeatedly published ensembles of trajectories illustrating double slit diffraction processes do not agree with quantum mechanics. The credibility of a theory is undermined when recognizably wrong data presented frequently over years are finally not declared obsolete.
The de Broglie-Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics (BM) has been favored as the preferred alternative to standard quantum mechanics on the ground that it allows a realist construal of the quantum world. We examine in the present work whether BM is consistent with scientific realism. Indeed, Bohmian mechanics makes strong ontological claims but accepts in principle the impossibility of generating epistemic warrants in support of its assumptions. We will argue that such a situation gives rise, at best, to an unsolvable underdetermination dilemma. This leads in turn to the following paradox: although Bohmian mechanics has frequently been invoked to reconcile quantum mechanics with realism, its status as a valid interpretation of quantum mechanics hinges nonetheless on nonevidential epistemological arguments traditionally associated with antirealism.
In this paper we generalize the ideas of de Broglie and Bohm to the relativistic case which is based on the relativistic Schrödinger equation. In this regard, the relativistic forms of the guidance equation and quantum potential are derived. In our formulation of Relativistic Bohmian Mechanic, the quantum equilibrium hypothesis (ρ=∣ψ∣2)(ρ=|ψ|^{2})(ρ=∣ψ∣2) and the probabilistic interpretation of the wave function are not an intrinsic feature of the theory as well as expected from the theoretical structure of Bohmian mechanics but still we can extract the statistical predictions of this theory. In fact with assuming the quantum equilibrium hypothesis in non-relativistic case and then acceleration to particles by an external field we go to the relativistic regime. So in this case the quantum equilibrium would not be established and theory will have testable predictions that can be experienced, or this will be compared to the result of relativistic quantum mechanics. In some simple cases such calculations have been done.
This chapter provides a fully comprehensive overview of the Bohmian formulation of quantum phenomena. It deals with a historical review of the difficulties found by Louis de Broglie, David Bohm and John Bell to convince the scientific community about the validity and utility of Bohmian mechanics. The chapter presents a formal explanation of Bohmian mechanics for nonrelativistic single-particle quantum systems. It explains a didactic introduction of the Bohmian formalism and a self-contained summary for any newcomer interested in using Bohmian mechanics in their daily research activity. The quantum theory revolves around the notions of particles and waves. Einstein died in 1955, convinced that a correct reformulation of quantum theory would preserve local causality. Aerodynamics and hydrodynamics are examples of such continuous material systems. The initial formulation of quantum mechanics with Bohmian trajectories developed by de Broglie and Bohm was performed for dynamical systems with associated velocities much slower than the speed of light.
Abstract In a recent paper, Englert et al. reject Bohm's reinterpretation of quantum mechanics as "surrealistic." Responses to this by Dewdney et al. and Durr et al. have generally missed the point of this somewhat strange characterization of the interpretation. In this paper I explain the experiment which is supposed to illustrate the surrealism. I argue that what is really being objected to is the non-locality of the interpretation. While this is an undesirable feature of Bohm's interpretation, it is not a feature of which the standard interpretation gives a more satisfactory account.