Published April 2004 | Version v1
Journal article

Bohmian histories and decoherent histories

  • 1. Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9530 (United States)

Description

The predictions of the Bohmian and the decoherent (or consistent) histories formulations of the quantum mechanics of a closed system are compared for histories--sequences of alternatives at a series of times. For certain kinds of histories, Bohmian mechanics and decoherent histories may both be formulated in the same mathematical framework within which they can be compared. In that framework, Bohmian mechanics and decoherent histories represent a given history by different operators. Their predictions for the probabilities of histories of a closed system therefore generally differ. However, in an idealized model of measurement, the predictions of Bohmian mechanics and decoherent histories coincide for the probabilities of records of measurement outcomes. The formulations are thus difficult to distinguish experimentally. They may differ in their accounts of the past history of the Universe in quantum cosmology

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review. A
Journal Volume
69
Journal Issue
4
Journal Page Range
p. 042111-042111.7
ISSN
1050-2947
CODEN
PLRAAN

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
36082897
Subject category
S74: ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; S72: PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS;
Descriptors DEI
COSMOLOGY; FORECASTING; HILBERT SPACE; PROBABILITY; QUANTUM MECHANICS; UNIVERSE
Descriptors DEC
BANACH SPACE; MATHEMATICAL SPACE; MECHANICS; SPACE

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2004 The American Physical Society