Quantum decoherence in a pragmatist view: Part I
Abstract
The quantum theory of decoherence plays an important role in a pragmatist interpretation of quantum theory. It governs the descriptive content of claims about values of physical magnitudes and offers advice on when to use quantum probabilities as a guide to their truth. The content of a claim is to be understood in terms of its role in inferences. This promises a better treatment of meaning than that of Bohr. Quantum theory models physical systems with no mention of measurement: it is decoherence, not measurement, that licenses application of Born's probability rule. So quantum theory also offers advice on its own application. I show how this works in a simple model of decoherence, and then in applications to both laboratory experiments and natural systems. Applications to quantum field theory and the measurement problem will be discussed elsewhere.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1207.6629,
title = {Quantum decoherence in a pragmatist view: Part I},
author = {Richard Healey},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1207.6629},
year = {2012}
}