The Reality Problem of Quantum Mechanics

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• Sam Crawford
• Friday 16 March 2018, 16:00-17:00
• MR13.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Loren E. Held.

Ever since there has been quantum mechanics, there has been a debate embroiling physicists and philosophers about some of its most fundamental aspects. “What is a quantum state?”, “What effect, if any, does measurement have on a system?”, “What do we even mean by ‘measurement’?” These questions, and more, can all be considered a part of the Quantum Reality Problem (A.K.A. the Measurement Problem). They have spawned ideas that sparked controversy and captivated the wider public, such as Schrodinger’s infamous cat and Everett’s oft-misunderstood “many worlds” interpretation. In this talk, I will give a more detailed statement of the “Quantum Reality Problem” and then proceed to discuss the merits and shortcomings of a few proposed solutions. My aim is to make this talk as accessible as possible to a variety of mathematical backgrounds, though a familiarity with some of the more well known facets of quantum theory will naturally prove helpful.

This talk is part of the Part III Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• MR13
• Part III Seminars

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