What are we talking about when we discuss the Born-Oppenheimer approximation?
Quantum Physics
2025-07-17 v1 History and Philosophy of Physics
Abstract
Nick Huggett, James Ladyman, and Karim Thebault (HLT) have presented a comprehensive article examining the Born-Oppenheimer Approximation (BOA). Their central objective is to challenge our position on the matter-namely, that the BOA incorporates a classical assumption incompatible with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. In contrast, HLT contend that the BOA involves no such classical assumption and, as a result, supports the view that chemistry can be reduced to physics. The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical analysis of the HLT article and to clarify why we consider their arguments unpersuasive.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2507.12223,
title = {What are we talking about when we discuss the Born-Oppenheimer approximation?},
author = {Olimpia Lombardi and Sebastian Fortin and Juan Camilo Martinez Gonzalez and Hernan Lucas Accorinti},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.12223},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
This is an answer to the article "On the Quantum Theory of Molecules: Rigour, Idealization, and Uncertainty" arXiv:2411.01942