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Is the wave function a physical reality traveling through our apparatus? Is it a real wave, or it is only a mathematical tool for calculating probabilities of results of measurements? Different interpretations of the quantum mechanics (QM)…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2022-10-10 Sofia Wechsler

Since the discovery of quantum mechanics, the fact that the wavefunction is defined on the $3\mathbf{n}$-dimensional configuration space rather than on the $3$-dimensional space has seemed uncanny to many, including Schr\"odinger, Lorentz,…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2024-10-17 Ovidiu Cristinel Stoica

In this paper I review three different positions on the wave function, namely: nomological realism, dispositionalism, and configuration space realism by regarding as essential their capacity to account for the world of our experience. I…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2015-03-05 Mauro Dorato

This paper provides a detailed historical account of early debates over wave-function realism, the modern term for the view that the wave function of quantum theory is physically real. As this paper will show, the idea of physical waves…

History and Philosophy of Physics · Physics 2026-02-11 Jacob A. Barandes

It has been widely thought that the wave function describes a real, physical field in a realist interpretation of quantum mechanics. In this paper, I present a new analysis of the field ontology for the wave function. First, I argue that…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2020-11-04 Shan Gao

Bohmian mechanics solves the wave-particle duality paradox by introducing the concept of a physical particle that is always point-like and a separate wavefunction with some sort of physical reality. However, this model has not been…

General Physics · Physics 2014-10-14 Eduardo V. Flores

Quantum gravity aims to describe gravity in quantum mechanical terms. How exactly this needs to be done remains an open question. Various proposals have been put on the table, such as canonical quantum gravity, loop quantum gravity, string…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2019-08-22 Nelson Pinto-Neto , Ward Struyve

Bohmian mechanics and the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber theory provide opposite resolutions of the quantum measurement problem: the former postulates additional variables (the particle positions) besides the wave function, whereas the latter…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2008-11-26 Valia Allori , Sheldon Goldstein , Roderich Tumulka , Nino Zanghi

Pilot-wave theories provide possible solutions to the measurement problem. In such theories, quantum systems are not only described by the state vector, but also by some additional variables. These additional variables, also called beables,…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2014-11-18 Ward Struyve

This is a non-technical presentation (in historical context) of the quantum theory that is strictly based on global unitarity. While the first part was written for a general readership, Sect. 5 may appear a bit provocative. I argue that the…

History and Philosophy of Physics · Physics 2018-02-05 H. Dieter Zeh

Pilot wave theory endows particles with definite positions at all times governed by deterministic dynamics. However, individual particle trajectories are generically undetectable by experiment. This idea might seem to be contested in light…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2025-07-08 Johannes Fankhauser

Bohmian mechanics provides an explanation of quantum phenomena in terms of point particles guided by wave functions. This review focuses on the formalism of non-relativistic Bohmian mechanics, rather than its interpretation. Although the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2014-10-21 A. Benseny , G. Albareda , A. S. Sanz , J. Mompart , X. Oriols

We show how pilot-wave theory points to new physics, beyond quantum mechanics, in three distinct ways. First, generalised cosmological initial conditions, departing from the Born rule, can lead to observable anomalies in the cosmic…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2024-12-04 Antony Valentini

This paper focuses on a constructive treatment of the mathematical formalism of quantum theory and a possible role of constructivist philosophy in resolving the foundational problems of quantum mechanics, particularly, the controversy over…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2016-05-25 Arkady Bolotin

The meaning of the wave function has been a hot topic of debate since the early days of quantum mechanics. Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in this long-standing question. Is the wave function ontic, directly representing a…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2016-11-10 Shan Gao

The most puzzling issue in the foundations of quantum mechanics is perhaps that of the status of the wave function of a system in a quantum universe. Is the wave function objective or subjective? Does it represent the physical state of the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2011-01-25 Sheldon Goldstein , Nino Zanghì

In this study, we use the concept of Bohmian trajectories to present a dynamical and deterministic interpretation for the gravity induced wave function reduction. We shall classify all possible regimes for the motion of a particle, based on…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-05-26 Faramarz Rahmani , Mehdi Golshani

We present a novel perspective on gravity-induced wave function reduction using Bohmian trajectories. This study examines the quantum motion of both point particles and objects, identifying critical parameters for the transition from…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-05-26 Faramarz Rahmani

I address the problem of explaining why wave functions for identical particles must be either symmetric or antisymmetric (the symmetry dichotomy) within two interpretations of quantum mechanics which include particles following definite…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2017-01-16 Charles Sebens

Bohmian mechanics supplements the quantum wavefunction with deterministic particle trajectories, offering an alternate, dynamical language for quantum theory. However, the Bohmian particle does not affect its guiding wave, so the wave field…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2024-08-13 David Darrow