dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaWorlds in the Everett Interpretation
| Authors | David Wallace |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0103092 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0103092 |
| Journal | Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 33 (2002) pp. 637-661 |
Abstract
This is a discussion of how we can understand the world-view given to us by the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics, and in particular the role played by the concept of `world'. The view presented is that we are entitled to use `many-worlds' terminology even if the theory does not specify the worlds in the formalism; this is defended by means of an extensive analogy with the concept of an `instant' or moment of time in relativity, with the lack of a preferred foliation of spacetime being compared with the lack of a preferred basis in quantum theory. Implications for identity of worlds over time, and for relativistic quantum mechanics, are discussed.
{
"annotation_id": "ab6bad49-00c6-45c9-ad01-2817daed5b0b",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:42.362000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:42.362000Z",
"file_hash": "9da6c70873f158d84a85bd3b0fe42452dfeffc966318b16bc766f0f8ec477ed2",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "This is a discussion of how we can understand the world-view given to us by\nthe Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics, and in particular the role\nplayed by the concept of `world\u0027. The view presented is that we are entitled to\nuse `many-worlds\u0027 terminology even if the theory does not specify the worlds in\nthe formalism; this is defended by means of an extensive analogy with the\nconcept of an `instant\u0027 or moment of time in relativity, with the lack of a\npreferred foliation of spacetime being compared with the lack of a preferred\nbasis in quantum theory. Implications for identity of worlds over time, and for\nrelativistic quantum mechanics, are discussed.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0103092",
"authors": [
"David Wallace"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"journal_ref": "Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 33 (2002)\n pp. 637-661",
"title": "Worlds in the Everett Interpretation",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0103092"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "a32b7de4-329a-4acb-8cb5-06df3958a835",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}