Decoherence, relative states, and evolutionary adaptation

@article{Saunders1993DecoherenceRS,
  title={Decoherence, relative states, and evolutionary adaptation},
  author={Simon Saunders},
  journal={Foundations of Physics},
  year={1993},
  volume={23},
  pages={1553-1585}
}
  • S. Saunders
  • Published 1 December 1993
  • Physics
  • Foundations of Physics
We review the decoherent histories approach to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Everett relative-state theory is reformulated in terms of decoherent histories. A model of evolutionary adaptation is shown to imply decoherence. A general interpretative framework is proposed: probability and value-definiteness are to have a similar status to the attribution of tense in classical spacetime theory. 
View on Springer
60 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
5
Background Citations
24
Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
1

60 Citations

Quasiclassical dynamics in a closed quantum system.
  • Kent
  • Physics
    Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
  • 1996
We consider Gell-Mann and Hartle's consistent histories formulation of quantum cosmology in the interpretation in which one history, chosen randomly according to the decoherence functional…
Time, quantum mechanics, and decoherence
TLDR
The solution proposed here is to treat both tense and value-definiteness as relational properties or “facts as relations”; likewise the notions of change and probability.
Modal interpretations, decoherence and measurements
Drift–diffusion in mangled worlds quantum mechanics
  • R. Hanson
  • Physics
    Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
  • 2006
In Everett's many-worlds interpretation, where quantum measurements are seen as decoherence events, inexact decoherence may let large worlds mangle the memories of observers in small worlds, creating…
Possible Worlds in the Modal Interpretation
  • M. Hemmo
  • Philosophy
    Philosophy of Science
  • 1996
An outline for a modal interpretation in terms of possible worlds is presented. The so-called Schmidt histories are taken to correspond to the physically possible worlds. The decoherence function…
Multiplicity in Everett's interpretation of quantum mechanics
On the Consistent Histories Approach to Quantum Mechanics
We review the consistent histories formulations of quantum mechanics developed by Griffiths, Omnès and Gell-Mann and Hartle, and describe the classification of consistent sets. We illustrate some…
On the consistent histories approach to quantum mechanics
We review the consistent histories formulations of quantum mechanics developed by Griffiths, Omnès, and Gell-Mann and Hartle, and describe the classification of consistent sets. We illustrate some…
On the End of a Quantum Mechanical Romance
Comparatively recent advances in quantum measurement theory suggest that the decades-old flirtation between quantum mechanics and the philosophy of mind is about to end. Various approaches to what I…
Entry Navigation Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
  • Physics, Philosophy
  • 2012
The Many-Worlds Interpretation (MWI) of quantum mechanics holds that there are many worlds which exist in parallel at the same space and time as our own. The existence of the other worlds makes it…
...
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 38 REFERENCES
Preferred States, Predictability, Classicality and the Environment-Induced Decoherence
Selection of the preferred classical set of states in the process of decoherence is discussed with an emphasis on the role of correlations, information loss and entropy. Persistence of correlations…
Can the statistical postulate of quantum theory be derived?—A critique of the many-universes interpretation
The attempt to derive (rather than assume) the statistical postulate of quantum theory from the many-universes interpretation of Everett and De Witt is analyzed The many-universes interpretation is…
Consistent interpretation of quantum mechanics using quantum trajectories.
The probabilistic element of quantum theory can be combined with the unitary time evolution of Schr\"odinger's equation in a natural and consistent way using the idea of a quantum trajectory, the…
Classical equations for quantum systems.
TLDR
This work investigates the requirements for coarse grainings to yield decoherent sets of histories that are quasiclassical, i.e., such that the individual histories obey, with high probability, effective classical equations of motion interrupted continually by small fluctuations and occasionally by large ones.
Consistent interpretations of quantum mechanics
Within the last decade, significant progress has been made towards a consistent and complete reformulation of the Copenhagen interpretation (an interpretation consisting in a formulation of the…
Consistent histories and the interpretation of quantum mechanics
The usual formula for transition probabilities in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is generalized to yield conditional probabilities for selected sequences of events at several different times,…
The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics: An Interactive Interpretation
TLDR
Theoretical measurements show clear trends in the number of quantum states and the properties of these states have changed over time, particularly in the case of joined systems.
Quantum theory as a universal physical theory
The problem of setting up quantum theory as a universal physical theory is investigated. It is shown that the existing formalism, in either the conventional or the Everett interpretation, must be…
The Quantum Mechanics of Closed Systems
A pedagogical introduction is given to the quantum mechanics of closed systems, most generally the universe as a whole. Quantum mechanics aims at predicting the probabilities of alternative…
From Hilbert space to common sense : a synthesis of recent progress in the interpretation of quantum mechanics
...
...