Many Worlds and Schrödinger’s First Quantum Theory
Open accessAbstract
Schrödinger’s first proposal for the interpretation of quantum mechanics was based on a postulate relating the wave function on configuration space to charge density in physical space. Schrödinger apparently later thought that his proposal was empirically wrong. We argue here that this is not the case, at least for a very similar proposal with charge density replaced by mass density. We argue that when analyzed carefully, this theory is seen to be an empirically adequate many-worlds theory and not an empirically inadequate theory describing a single world. Moreover, this formulation—Schrödinger’s first quantum theory—can be regarded as a formulation of the many-worlds view of quantum mechanics that is ontologically clearer than Everett’s. 1. Monstrosity2. Duality3. Parallelity4. Reality5. Nonlocality6. Relativity7. Probability8. Typicality9. Uncertainty10. Summary
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Everett's theory can be 'locally' formulated in terms of mass density.
“We stress that in [40], it was similarly shown that Everett's theory can be 'locally' formulated in term of mass density.”
From An Elementary Proof That Everett's Quantum Multiverse Is Nonlocal: Bell-Locality and Branch-Symmetry in the Many-Worlds Interpretation (2023) · cites this paper as [40]
Section 2, p. 3 formulates Sm, a many-worlds theory, using mass density in physical three-dimensional space. But Section 5, p. 13 explicitly says Sm cannot be formulated purely in terms of local variables because it also needs the nonlocal wave function. Thus the citation supports a mass-density formulation, not a local formulation in that stronger sense. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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References 27 · Cited by 71
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- [2][2] Allori, V.: Fundamental Physical Theories: Mathematical Structures Grounded on a Primitive Ontology . Ph. D. thesis, Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University (2007). Online http://www.niu.edu/ ~ vallori/thesis4.pdf -
- [7][7] Bell, J. S.: The Theory of Local Beables. Epistemological Letters 9 : 11 (1976). Reprinted in Dialectica 39 : 85 (1985), and as chapter 7 of [11]. -
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- [9][9] Bell, J. S.: Six possible worlds of quantum mechanics. Proceedings of the Nobel Symposium 65: Possible Worlds in Arts and Sciences. Stockholm, August 11-15, 1986. Reprinted as chapter 20 of
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- Authors
- Allori, V., Goldstein, S., Tumulka, R., & Zanghì, N.
- Affiliations
- Northern Illinois University (US)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova (IT)
- Venue
- The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 2011-03-01
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-27
- ISSN
- 0007-0882 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-3537
- OpenAlex
- W2054701681
- Cited by
- 71
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Huskie Commons (Northern Illinois University) (submittedVersion)
- Aisberg (University of Bergamo) (submittedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutial Research Information System (University of Genoa) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy and History of Science
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Keywords
- many-worlds interpretation, wave functions, charge density, mass density, empirical adequacy, quantum ontology, nonlocality, probability in quantum mechanics, uncertainty
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