dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaQuantum Mechanics Unscrambled
| Authors | Jean-Michel Delhotel |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0401063 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0401063 |
| License | http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/ |
Abstract
Is quantum mechanics about 'states'? Or is it basically another kind of probability theory? It is argued that the elementary formalism of quantum mechanics operates as a well-justified alternative to 'classical' instantiations of a probability calculus. Its providing a general framework for prediction accounts for its distinctive traits, which one should be careful not to mistake for reflections of any strange ontology. The suggestion is also made that quantum theory unwittingly emerged, in Schroedinger's formulation, as a 'lossy' by-product of a quantum-mechanical variant of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. As it turns out, the effectiveness of quantum theory qua predictive algorithm makes up for the computational impracticability of that master equation.
{
"annotation_id": "592ccaae-0b2b-48e9-98bd-8ca19cab2ba4",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:02:03.121000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:02:03.121000Z",
"file_hash": "317d33a95d9876de7b9a331e7cccd3621ac751405d36c680b6966a91ce1c16c7",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "Is quantum mechanics about \u0027states\u0027? Or is it basically another kind of\nprobability theory? It is argued that the elementary formalism of quantum\nmechanics operates as a well-justified alternative to \u0027classical\u0027\ninstantiations of a probability calculus. Its providing a general framework for\nprediction accounts for its distinctive traits, which one should be careful not\nto mistake for reflections of any strange ontology. The suggestion is also made\nthat quantum theory unwittingly emerged, in Schroedinger\u0027s formulation, as a\n\u0027lossy\u0027 by-product of a quantum-mechanical variant of the Hamilton-Jacobi\nequation. As it turns out, the effectiveness of quantum theory qua predictive\nalgorithm makes up for the computational impracticability of that master\nequation.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0401063",
"authors": [
"Jean-Michel Delhotel"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"license": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
"title": "Quantum Mechanics Unscrambled",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0401063"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "b1543ffb-8d2f-4a62-8881-9878732c2f82",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}