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

arXiv:quant-ph/0506024 · Annals of Physics

Many worlds and the appearance of probability in quantum mechanics

Robert A. Van Wesep

Published Jul 12, 2006• 12 citations
arXivHTMLPDF
DOI
10.1016/j.aop.2006.02.001

Related papers

Many worlds and the appearance of probability in quantum mechanics

Van Wesep, A. Robert

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•Mar 11, 2008•0 citations

Probability in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Lev Vaidman A

The frontiers collection•Aug 13, 2011•60 citations

Reality in quantum mechanics, Extended Everett Concept, and consciousness

Michael B. Mensky

Conceptual problems in quantum mechanics result from the specific quantum concept of reality and require, for their solution, including the observer’s consciousness into the quantum theory of measurements. Most naturally, this is achieved in the framework of Everett’s “many-world interpretation” of quantum mechanics. According to this interpretation, various classical alternatives are perceived by consciousness separately from each other. In the Extended Everett Concept (EEC) proposed by the present author, the separation of the alternatives is identified with the phenomenon of consciousness. This explains the classical character of the alternatives and unusual manifestations of consciousness arising “at the edge of consciousness” (i.e., in sleep or trance) when its access to “other alternative classical realities” (other Everett’s worlds) becomes feasible. Because of reversibility of quantum evolution in EEC, all time moments in the quantum world are equivalent, while the impression of flow of time appears only in consciousness. If it is assumed that consciousness may influence the probabilities of alternatives (which is consistent in case of infinitely many Everett’s worlds), EEC explains free will, “probabilistic miracles” (observing low-probability events), and decreasing entropy in the sphere of life.

arXiv:physics/0608309•Optics and Spectroscopy•Sep 1, 2007•15 citations

Quantum probability and many worlds

Meir Hemmo, Itamar Pitowsky

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics•Apr 17, 2007•56 citations

Philosophical lessons of entanglement

Anthony Sudbery, Dipankar Home, Guruprasad Kar +1 more

The quantum-mechanical description of the world, including human observers, makes substantial use of entanglement. In order to understand this, we need to adopt concepts of truth, probability and time which are unfamiliar in modern scientific thought. There are two kinds of statements about the world: those made from inside the world, and those from outside. The conflict between contradictory statements which both appear to be true can be resolved by recognising that they are made in different perspectives. Probability, in an objective sense, belongs in the internal perspective, and to statements in the future tense. Such statements obey a many-valued logic, in which the truth values are identified as probabilities.

arXiv:1103.4318•AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2011•3 citations

Appearance of Schrodinger Cat States in the Measurement Process

Gordey B. Lesovik, A. V. Lebedev, G. Blatter

Although quantum mechanics is a mature theory, fundamental problems discussed during its time of foundation have remained with us to this day. These problems are centered on the problematic relation between the quantum and classical worlds. The most famous element is the measurement problem, i.e., the measurement of a quantum system by a classical apparatus, and the concomitant phenomena of wave packet reduction, the appearance of probability, and the problems related to Schrödinger cat states. A fundamental question in this context is whether quantum mechanics can bootstrap itself to the classical world: is quantum mechanics self-consistent, such that the measurement process can be understood within quantum mechanics itself, or does this process require additional elements from the realm outside of traditional quantum mechanics? Here, we point to a problematic aspect in the traditional Schrödinger cat argument which can be overcome through its extension with a proper macroscopic preparation device; the deliberate creation of a cat state and its identification then turns into a non-trivial problem requiring the determination of the evolution of a quantum system entangled with a macroscopic reservoir. We describe a new type of wave-function correlator testing for the appearance of Schrödinger cat states and discuss its implications for theories deriving the wave function collapse from a unitary evolution.

arXiv:quant-ph/0307044•Jul 7, 2003•0 citations
Conceptual problems in quantum mechanics result from the specific quantum concept of reality and require, for their solution, including the observer’s consciousness into the quantum theory of measurements. Most naturally, this is achieved in the framework of Everett’s “many-world interpretation” of quantum mechanics. According to this interpretation, various classical alternatives are perceived by consciousness separately from each other. In the Extended Everett Concept (EEC) proposed by the present author, the separation of the alternatives is identified with the phenomenon of consciousness. This explains the classical character of the alternatives and unusual manifestations of consciousness arising “at the edge of consciousness” (i.e., in sleep or trance) when its access to “other alternative classical realities” (other Everett’s worlds) becomes feasible. Because of reversibility of quantum evolution in EEC, all time moments in the quantum world are equivalent, while the impression of flow of time appears only in consciousness. If it is assumed that consciousness may influence the probabilities of alternatives (which is consistent in case of infinitely many Everett’s worlds), EEC explains free will, “probabilistic miracles” (observing low-probability events), and decreasing entropy in the sphere of life.
The quantum-mechanical description of the world, including human observers, makes substantial use of entanglement. In order to understand this, we need to adopt concepts of truth, probability and time which are unfamiliar in modern scientific thought. There are two kinds of statements about the world: those made from inside the world, and those from outside. The conflict between contradictory statements which both appear to be true can be resolved by recognising that they are made in different perspectives. Probability, in an objective sense, belongs in the internal perspective, and to statements in the future tense. Such statements obey a many-valued logic, in which the truth values are identified as probabilities.
Although quantum mechanics is a mature theory, fundamental problems discussed during its time of foundation have remained with us to this day. These problems are centered on the problematic relation between the quantum and classical worlds. The most famous element is the measurement problem, i.e., the measurement of a quantum system by a classical apparatus, and the concomitant phenomena of wave packet reduction, the appearance of probability, and the problems related to Schrödinger cat states. A fundamental question in this context is whether quantum mechanics can bootstrap itself to the classical world: is quantum mechanics self-consistent, such that the measurement process can be understood within quantum mechanics itself, or does this process require additional elements from the realm outside of traditional quantum mechanics? Here, we point to a problematic aspect in the traditional Schrödinger cat argument which can be overcome through its extension with a proper macroscopic preparation device; the deliberate creation of a cat state and its identification then turns into a non-trivial problem requiring the determination of the evolution of a quantum system entangled with a macroscopic reservoir. We describe a new type of wave-function correlator testing for the appearance of Schrödinger cat states and discuss its implications for theories deriving the wave function collapse from a unitary evolution.