On Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 1:42:06 AM UTC, Jason wrote: > > > > On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 11:40 AM John Clark <johnk...@gmail.com > <javascript:>> wrote: > >> On Thu, Dec 20, 2018 at 7:30 PM Jason Resch <jason...@gmail.com >> <javascript:>> wrote: >> >> >>>> The Schrodinger equation describes the quantum wave function using >>>>>> complex numbers, and that is not observable so it's subjective in the >>>>>> same >>>>>> way that lines of latitude and longitude are. However the square of the >>>>>> absolute value of the wave function is observable because that produces >>>>>> a >>>>>> probability that we can measure in the physical world that is objective, >>>>>> provided anything deserves that word; but it also yields something that >>>>>> is >>>>>> not deterministic. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>> *It is still deterministic. * >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>That depends on what "it" refers to. The quantum wave function is >>>> deterministic but the physical system associated with it is not. >>>> >>> >>> > *This is incorrect.* >>> >> >> What a devastating retort, you sure put me in my place! Jason ,the >> Schrodinger equation is deterministic and describes the quantum wave >> function, but that function is an abstraction and is unobservable, to get >> something you can see you must square the absolute value of the wave >> function and that gives you the probability you will observe a particle at >> any spot; but Schrodinger's equation has an "i" in it , the square root of >> -1, and that means very different quantum wave functions can give the exact >> same probability distribution when you square it; remember with i you get >> weird stuff like i^2=i^6 =-1 and i^4=i^100=1. That's why we only get >> probabilities not certainties. >> >> >>> >>> *Schrodinger's equation does not say this is what happened, it just >>>>> says that you have ended up with a system with many sets of observers, >>>>> each >>>>> of which observed different outcomes.* >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>That's what Many World's claims it means but that claim is >>>> controversial, but what is not controversial is the wave function the >>>> Schrodinger equation describes mathematically. Consider the wave >>>> functions >>>> of these 2 systems: >>>> 1) An electron of velocity V starts at X and after one second it is >>>> observed at point Y and then goes on for another second. >>>> 2) An electron of the same velocity V starts at the same point X and >>>> then goes on for 2 seconds. >>>> >>>> The wave functions of these 2 systems are NOT the same and after you've >>>> taken the square of the absolute value of both you will find radically >>>> different probabilities about where you're likely to find the electron >>>> after 2 seconds. And as I said this is not controversial, people disagree >>>> over quantum interpretations but nobody disagrees over the mathematics, >>>> and >>>> the mathematical objects that the Schrodinger equation describes in those >>>> two systems are NOT the same. >>>> >>> >>> *> If you model the system to be measured, and the experimenter making >>> the measurement, the Schrodinger wave equation tells you unambiguously the >>> system* [...] >>> >> >> The Schrodinger wave equation tells precisely, unambiguously and >> deterministically what the wave function associated with the system will be >> but it says nothing unambiguously about the system itself. We do know >> the square of the absolute value of the wave function gives us the >> probability of obtaining a certain value if we measure a particular aspect >> of the system, but other than that things become controversial. Some people >> (the shut up and calculate people) say that's the only thing the math is >> telling us, but others (the Many World and Copenhagen and Pilot Wave >> people) say the math is telling us more than that but disagree about what >> that is. But everybody agrees about the math itself, and if an observation >> is made forget about what the math may mean the very mathematics of the >> Schrodinger >> wave changes. >> >> >>> > If you don't believe me, consider what would happen if you simulated >>> an experimenter's mind on a quantum computer, and then fed in as sensory >>> input one of the qubits registers prepared to be in a superposed state (0 >>> and 1). >>> >> >> I don't have a quantum computer and I don't have direct access to any >> mind other than my own so I can't do that, I could tell you my hunch about >> what I believe would happen and it's probably similar to your hunch but >> other people, including some very smart ones, disagree so we could be >> wrong. >> >> > Such people disbelieve in the Schrodinger equation. >
*Suppose (courtesy of Bruce) the SE represents a horse race with the probabilities varying wrt time. What's your view of the status of the SE when one horse wins and others loose? AG * > > Jason > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
