An Examination of Quantum Foundations
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Date
2011-09-01T15:09:40Z
Authors
Markes, Sonia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
Quantum foundations is a field of diverse goals and methods. In this thesis, I will
present three different approaches to quantum foundations, each emphasizing a different
goal or perspective. The causaloid framework has the goal is to use insight from quantum
foundations to study quantum gravity. Ontic models are a tool used to study realist theories
of quantum mechanics from an operational quantum information perspective. Nelson's
mechanics is a derivation of the Schrodinger equation using the machinery of stochastic
mechanics.
As each of these approaches has different set of goals, they are suited to different
purposes and have different limitations. From the causaloid, I construct the concept of
causally unbiased entropy and at the same time, find an emergent idea of causality in the
form of a measure of causal connectedness, termed the Q factor. In the ontic models
framework, I reproduce the generalization of the concept of contextuality. For Nelson's
mechanics, I examine its relationship to Bohmian mechanics - a realist formulation of
quantum mechanics.
I will then examine the relationship of these different approaches to one another. From
this examination I will introduce the concept of physical contextuality in order to ask
whether contextuality could be more than just a mathematical artifact. I also include a discussion of the property of deficiency in ontic models and its relation to contextuality given certain constraints.
Description
Keywords
quantum foundations, contextuality