An old and a new theorem in quantum mechanics and what they don't imply for indeterminism
Speaker:
Christian Wüthrich.
Date:
Thursday 29th October 2009
It is known, at least since Bell (1966), that Gleason's theorem does not rule out either hidden-variables interpretations of quantum mechanics or determinism, despite numerous assertions to the contrary. Recently, John Conway and Simon Kochen have published what they call the 'free will theorem' and proclaimed that it establishes that Nature herself is indeterministic. I will review the common argument why Gleason's theorem is thought to rule out determinism and Bell's response to it before I embark on an analysis of the free will theorem and its alleged implications. Alas, I will conclude that nothing as grand as what is claimed is in fact established.
Last updated: Monday, 12-Oct-2009 17:59:00 CEST
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