Against the empirical viability of the Deutsch-Wallace-Everett approach to quantum mechanics

Richard Dawid, Karim P Y Thébault*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The subjective Everettian approach to quantum mechanics presented by Deutsch and Wallace fails to constitute an empirically viable theory of quantum phenomena. The decision theoretic implementation of the Born rule realized in this approach provides no basis for rejecting Everettian quantum mechanics in the face of empirical data that contradicts the Born rule. The approach of Greaves and Myrvold, which provides a subjective implementation of the Born rule as well but derives it from empirical data rather than decision theoretic arguments, avoids the problem faced by Deutsch and Wallace and is empirically viable. However, there is good reason to cast doubts on its scientific value.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-61
Number of pages7
JournalStudies In History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies In History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Volume47
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Keywords

  • Empirical viability
  • Everett interpretation
  • Many worlds

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