Predictions and Primitive Ontology in Quantum Foundations: A Study of Examples

DOI10.1093/BJPS/AXS048zbMATH Open1328.81011arXiv1206.0019OpenAlexW2103335236WikidataQ62036710 ScholiaQ62036710MaRDI QIDQ5265970FDOQ5265970

Roderich Tumulka, Valia Allori, Sheldon Goldstein, Nino Zanghì

Publication date: 29 July 2015

Published in: The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: A major disagreement between different views about the foundations of quantum mechanics concerns whether for a theory to be intelligible as a fundamental physical theory it must involve a "primitive ontology" (PO), i.e., variables describing the distribution of matter in 4-dimensional space-time. In this paper, we illustrate the value of having a PO. We do so by focussing on the role that the PO plays for extracting predictions from a given theory and discuss valid and invalid derivations of predictions. To this end, we investigate a number of examples based on toy models built from the elements of familiar interpretations of quantum theory.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.0019

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05)

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