Guiding waves in quantum mechanics : one hundred years of de Broglie-Bohm pilot-wave theory / edited by Andrea Oldofredi.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Oldofredi, Andrea, editor.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Quantum theory.

Wave mechanics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (385 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

Deals with the history, philosophy and foundations of quantum mechanics. In particular, it is about the pilot-wave theory created by de Broglie and Bohm. The authors of the various chapters speak about this theory from different angles: historical, philosophical and technical (physics and applications).

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication Page

Editor's Preface

Editor's Acknowledgements

List of contributors

Contents

The pilot-wave theory: a plurality of voices

I.1 A history of ideas: from de Broglie to the present day

I.2 Philosophical reflections on the de Broglie-Bohm theory: ontology and methodology

I.3 The contents of the volume

References

PART I INTRODUCTION TO THE DE BROGLIE-BOHM THEORY AND REPLIES TO CRITICS

1 Why isn't every physicist a Bohmian? Common objections and their response

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The de Broglie-Bohm theory

1.3 The meta-theoretical debate

1.4 The theory immanent debate

1.5 Summary

2 The trouble with pilot-wave theory: a critical evaluation

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Elements of pilot-wave theory

2.3 An unacceptably radical physics?

2.4 An insufficiently radical physics?

2.5 A complete absence of new physics?

2.6 Outlook

3 The de Broglie-Bohm theory is and is not a hidden variable theory

3.1 Introduction

3.2 What are 'hidden variables'?

3.3 Naive statistical interpretation

3.4 The de Broglie-Bohm theory

3.5 The de Broglie-Bohm theory and the no hidden variable theorems

3.6 The no hidden variable theorems and non-locality

3.7 Conclusions

PART II HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

4 On the vicissitudes of Bohm's 1952 interpretation of quantum mechanics

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Short biographical review

4.3 The early poor reception of hidden-variable interpretation

4.4 The later revival

4.5 Enduring misconceptions about Bohm's ideas and conclusion

5 Why Bohm was never a determinist

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Determinism versus causality

5.3 Determinism and randomness

5.4 Causality and chance

5.5 Later years

5.6 Conclusion

References.

6 Against the 'nightmare of a mechanically determined universe': Why Bohm was never a Bohmian

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The standard narrative: Bohm's alleged commitment to determinism

6.3 An alternative narrative: Bohm against mechanistic determinism

6.4 Discussion and conclusion

PART III PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS

7 Relativistic pilot-wave theories as the rational completion of quantum mechanics and relativity

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Quantum theory and its problems

7.3 The pilot-wave theory

7.4 The 'spirit' of relativity

7.5 Relativistic non-local theories

7.6 (Nonlocal) quantum relativity?

7.7 Final considerations

8 Processualism ahead of time: Bohm's understanding of physics

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Process philosophy

8.3 Bohm's interpretation of quantum mechanics and processualism

8.4 Process philosophy reloaded

8.5 Bohm's interpretation of STR and processualism

8.6 Conclusions

9 The (un)detectability of trajectories in pilot-wave theory

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Underdetermination in pilot-wave theory

9.3 Detecting Bohmian trajectories with weak measurements?

9.4 Declaring Bohmian trajectories as surreal: falsifying Bohmian predictions?

9.5 Conclusions

10 The direction of time in Bohmian mechanics

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Bohmian mechanics and the problem of the direction of time

10.3 Bohmian conservative reductionism on the direction of time

10.4 Bohmian primitivism on the direction of time

10.5 Conclusions

11 Bohmian mechanics for quantum chemistry

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Quantum chemistry and standard quantum mechanics

11.3 Bohmian trajectories in quantum chemistry

11.4 Final remarks

PART IV NON-LOCALITY, EXTENSIONS OF THE DE BROGLIE-BOHM THEORY, AND APPLICATIONS.

12 Local causality in the works of Einstein, Bohm, and Bell

12.1 Introduction and motivations

12.2 The story

12.3 Bell's beables

12.4 The local realism rhetoric

12.5 Conclusion: from EPR to Bohm and Bell

12.6 Appendix: Fine's theorem

13 A vision for a Bohm-style theory of quantum electrodynamics

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Problems of QED

13.3 And on top of that

13.4 Particle position picture, starting from the work of Landau and Peierls

13.5 Positrons

13.6 Synthesis

14 On the prospects of a de Broglie-Bohm-Barbour-Bertotti theory

14.1 Introduction

14.2 The modern Leibnizian/Machian approach to physics

14.3 A de Broglie-Bohm model of pure shape dynamics

14.4 Conclusion: on the 'geometrizing away' of the wave function

15 How weak values illuminate the role of 'hidden' variables as predictive tools

15.1 Introduction

15.2 On the meaning of weak values

15.3 Exemplifying Bohmian-like theories as heuristic tools

15.4 Final remarks

16 Spin-aware movement of electrons and time-of-flight momentum spectroscopy

16.1 Introduction

16.2 Electron-in-a-box: non-relativistic treatment

16.3 Electron-in-a-box: relativistic treatment

16.4 Electron motion post-deconfinement

16.5 Momentum spectroscopy: general considerations

16.6 ToF momentum spectroscopy: a dBB account

16.7 Conclusion

16.8 Appendix A: relativistic ground-state wave function

16.9 Appendix B: time-evolution post switching

Index.

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on March 5, 2025).

ISBN:

0-19-890187-9

0-19-890186-0

OCLC:

1504383358