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arXiv:quant-ph/0112024

Specification of statistical description in quantum mechanics

Yuri A. Rylov

Published Dec 4, 2001• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

It is shown that the statistical conception of quantum mechanics is dynamical but not probabilistic, i.e. the statistical description in quantum mechanics is founded on dynamics. A use of the probability theory, when it takes place, is auxiliary. Attention is drawn to the fact that in the quantum mechanics there are two different objects: an individual object to be statistically described and a statistical average object, which is a result of the statistical description. Identification of the two different objects (a use of the same term for both) is an origin of many known quantum mechanics paradoxes.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/0112024

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It is shown that the statistical conception of quantum mechanics is dynamical but not probabilistic, i.e. the statistical description in quantum mechanics is founded on dynamics. A use of the probability theory, when it takes place, is auxiliary. Attention is drawn to the fact that in the quantum mechanics there are two different objects: an individual object to be statistically described and a statistical average object, which is a result of the statistical description. Identification of the two different objects (a use of the same term for both) is an origin of many known quantum mechanics paradoxes.
It is shown that the wave function describes the state of the statistical ensemble E[S] of individual particles, or the statistical average particle . This result follows from the fact that in the classical limit h=0 the Schroedinger equation turns to the dynamic equations for the statistical ensemble of classical particles. The statement that the wave function describes the state of an individual particle is incompatible with the quantum mechanics formalism. It is shown that the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics is a corollary of the fact, that the QM formalism is the technique of the statistical ensemble description, restricted by constraints of the dynamic equation linearity.
It is shown that Schrödinger's equation may be derived from three postulates. The first is a kind of statistical metamorphosis of classical mechanics, a set of two relations which are obtained from the canonical equations of particle mechanics by replacing all observables by statistical averages. The second is a local conservation law of probability with a probability current which takes the form of a gradient. The third is a principle of maximal disorder as realized by the requirement of minimal Fisher information. The rule for calculating expectation values is obtained from a fourth postulate, the requirement of energy conservation in the mean. The fact that all these basic relations of quantum theory may be derived from premises which are statistical in character is interpreted as a strong argument in favor of the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics. The structures of quantum theory and classical statistical theories are compared, and some fundamental differences are identified.
Statistical classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are developed and well-known theories that represent a basis for modern physics. Statistical classical mechanics enable the derivation of the properties of large bodies by investigating the movements of small atoms and molecules which comprise these bodies using Newton's classical laws. Quantum mechanics defines the laws of movement of small particles at small atomic distances by considering them as probability waves. The laws of quantum mechanics are described by the Schrödinger equation. The laws of such movements are significantly different from the laws of movement of large bodies, such as planets or stones. The two described theories are well known and have been well studied. As these theories contain numerous paradoxes, many scientists doubt their internal consistencies. However, these paradoxes can be resolved within the framework of the existing physics without the introduction of new laws. To clarify the paper for the inexperienced reader, we include certain necessary basic concepts of statistical physics and quantum mechanics in this paper without the use of formulas. Exact formulas and explanations are included in the Appendices. The text is supplemented by illustrations to enhance the understanding of the paper. The paradoxes underlying thermodynamics and quantum mechanics are also discussed. The approaches to the solutions of these paradoxes are suggested. The first approach is dependent on the influence of the external observer (environment), which disrupts the correlations in the system. The second approach is based on the limits of the self-knowledge of the system for the case in which both the external observer and the environment are included in the considered system. The concepts of observable dynamics, ideal dynamics, and unpredictable dynamics are introduced. The phenomenon of complex (living) systems is contemplated from the point of view of these dynamics.
Quantum mechanics is basically a mathematical recipe on how to construct physical models. Historically its origin and main domain of application has been in the microscopic regime, although it strictly seen constitutes a general mathematical framework not limited to this regime. Since it is a statistical theory, the meaning and role of probabilities in it need to be defined and understood in order to gain an understanding of the predictions and validity of quantum mechanics. The interpretational problems of quantum mechanics are also connected with the interpretation of the concept of probability. In this thesis the use of probability theory as extended logic, in particular in the way it was presented by E. T. Jaynes, will be central. With this interpretation of probabilities they become a subjective notion, always dependent on one's state of knowledge or the context in which they are assigned, which has consequences on how things are to be viewed, understood and tackled in quantum mechanics. For instance, the statistical operator or density operator, is usually defined in terms of probabilities and therefore also needs to be updated when the probabilities are updated by acquisition of additional data. Furthermore, it is a context dependent notion, meaning, e.g., that two observers will in general assign different statistical operators to the same phenomenon, which is demonstrated in the papers of the thesis. It is also presented an alternative and conceptually clear approach to the problematic notion of "probabilities of probabilities", which is related to such things as probability distributions on statistical operators. In connection to this, we consider concrete numerical applications of Bayesian quantum state assignment methods to a three-level quantum system, where prior knowledge and various kinds of measurement data are encoded into a statistical operator, which can then be used for deriving probabilities of other measurements. The thesis also offers examples of an alternative quantum state assignment technique, using maximum entropy methods, which in some cases are compared with the Bayesian quantum state assignment methods. Finally, the interesting and important problem whether the statistical operator, or more generally quantum mechanics, gives a complete description of "objective physical reality" is considered. A related concern is here the possibility of finding a "local hidden-variable theory" underlying the quantum mechanical description. There have been attempts to prove that such a theory cannot be constructed, where the most well-known impossibility proof claiming to show this was given by J. S. Bell. In connection to this, the thesis presents an idea for an interpretation or alternative approach to quantum mechanics based on the concept of space-time.
A new approach to probability theory is presented with reference to statistics and statistical physics. At the outset, it is recognized that the “average man” of a population and the “average particle” of a gas are only objects of thought, and not real entities which exist in nature. The concept of average (man) is generalized as a new concept of represental (man) whose epistemological status is intermediate between those of the particular (the man) and the universal (a man). This new concept has become necessary as a result of emergence of statistics as a new branch of human knowledge at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Probability is defined with reference to the represental. The concept of probability is the same in probability theory and in physics. But whereas in statistics the probabilities are estimated using random sequences, in statistical physics they are determined either by the laws of physics alone or by making use of the laws of probability also. Thus in physics we deal with probability at a more basic level than in statistics. This approach is free from most of the controversies we face at present in interpreting probability theory and quantum mechanics.