aqora

A Brief Historical Perspective on the Consistent Histories Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Gustavo Rodrigues Rocha, Dean P. Rickles, Florian J. Boge

It will be presented in this chapter a historical account of the consistent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics based on primary and secondary literature. Firstly, the formalism of the consistent histories approach will be outlined. Secondly, the works by Robert Griffiths and Roland Omnès will be discussed. Griffiths' seminal 1984 paper, the first physicist to have proposed a consistent-histories interpretation of quantum mechanics, followed by Omnès' 1990 paper, were instrumental to the consistent-histories model based on Boolean logic. Thirdly, Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle's steps to their own version of consistent-histories approach, motivated by a cosmological perspective, will then be described and evaluated. Gell-Mann and Hartle understood that spontaneous decoherence could path the way to a concrete physical model to Griffiths' consistent histories. Moreover, the collective biography of these figures will be put in the context of the role played by the Santa Fe Institute, co-founded by Gell-Mann in 1984 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Hartle is also a member of the external faculty.It will be presented in this chapter a historical account of the consistent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics based on primary and secondary literature. Firstly, the formalism of the consistent histories approach will be outlined. Secondly, the works by Robert Griffiths and Roland Omnès will be discussed. Griffiths' seminal 1984 paper, the first physicist to have proposed a consistent-histories interpretation of quantum mechanics, followed by Omnès' 1990 paper, were instrumental to the consistent-histories model based on Boolean logic. Thirdly, Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle's steps to their own version of consistent-histories approach, motivated by a cosmological perspective, will then be described and evaluated. Gell-Mann and Hartle understood that spontaneous decoherence could path the way to a concrete physical model to Griffiths' consistent histories. Moreover, the collective biography of these figures will be put in the context of the role played by the Santa Fe Institute, co-founded by Gell-Mann in 1984 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Hartle is also a member of the external faculty.

arXiv:2103.05280Mar 9, 20210 citations

Understanding Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Philosophy: Understanding and Interpreting Contemporary Science, by Roland Omnès

Matthias Steinmetz

Physics TodayDec 1, 19990 citations

The Consistent Histories Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Edward M. MacKinnon

The consistent histories reformulation of quantum mechanics was developed by Robert Griffiths, given a formal logical systematization by Roland Omn\`{e}s, and under the label `decoherent histories', was independently developed by Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle and extended to quantum cosmology. Criticisms of CH involve issues of meaning, truth, objectivity, and coherence, a mixture of philosophy and physics. We will briefly consider the original formulation of CH and some basic objections. The reply to these objections, like the objections themselves, involves a mixture of physics and philosophy. These replies support an evaluation of the CH formulation as a replacement for the measurement, or orthodox, interpretation.The consistent histories reformulation of quantum mechanics was developed by Robert Griffiths, given a formal logical systematization by Roland Omn\`{e}s, and under the label `decoherent histories', was independently developed by Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle and extended to quantum cosmology. Criticisms of CH involve issues of meaning, truth, objectivity, and coherence, a mixture of philosophy and physics. We will briefly consider the original formulation of CH and some basic objections. The reply to these objections, like the objections themselves, involves a mixture of physics and philosophy. These replies support an evaluation of the CH formulation as a replacement for the measurement, or orthodox, interpretation.

Apr 1, 20095 citations

A Brief Survey of Main Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

Jarosław Pykacz

SpringerBriefs in physicsJan 1, 20157 citations

Summary of interpretations of quantum mechanics

Václav Profant

Jan 1, 20060 citations

Weak Decoherence and Quantum Trajectory Graphs

Eric Chisolm, E. C. G. Sudarshan, Thomas F. Jordan

Griffiths ’ “quantum trajectories ” formalism is extended to describe weak decoherence. The decoherence conditions are shown to severely limit the complexity of histories composed of fine-grained events. In response to the increasingly popular opinion that the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics raises more questions than it answers [7] and a desire to treat the entire universe quantum mechanically, Gell-Mann and Hartle [1, 2, 3] have worked to create an alternative interpretation of quantum theory, expanding upon earlier work by Griffiths [4] and Omnès [6]. Their scheme emphasizes not individual events but Griffiths ’ notion of a history, a sequence of events at a succession of times, and they assert that theGriffiths ’ “quantum trajectories ” formalism is extended to describe weak decoherence. The decoherence conditions are shown to severely limit the complexity of histories composed of fine-grained events. In response to the increasingly popular opinion that the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics raises more questions than it answers [7] and a desire to treat the entire universe quantum mechanically, Gell-Mann and Hartle [1, 2, 3] have worked to create an alternative interpretation of quantum theory, expanding upon earlier work by Griffiths [4] and Omnès [6]. Their scheme emphasizes not individual events but Griffiths ’ notion of a history, a sequence of events at a succession of times, and they assert that the

Jun 19, 19954 citations

Review of R. Omnes, THE INTERPRETATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

Abstract

Related papers

Review of R. Omnes, THE INTERPRETATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

Abstract

Related papers