> > In any case, in order make the condition that "there is little
> > interference" precise, you will need to say something like:
> >
> > There is little interference when |LHS - RHS| < epsilon.
> >
> > In other words, you will need to introduce an arbitrary parameter
> > into the definition of "world". I believe similar problems bedevil
> > attempts to derive the projection postulate from decoherence.
>
> Well the idea of independent, non-interfering worlds is an approximation
> of reality to help intuition and perhaps make computation easier. The
> epsilon says how close that approximation is to reality.
But in that case 'world' can't be a fundamental concept, in the way
that many-worlds would have it. The essence of many-worlds, I thought,
was that *there are many worlds*, and we-here exist in one of them;
and the substance of the theory should lie in making these concepts
precise. But if the concept of world can't be given a crisp,
nonapproximate (i.e. nonarbitrary) definition, then I can't see
what use it has in this context.
> > There was also something unspecified: what sort of functions
> > are PSI_0(r,t) and PSI_1(r,t)? For example, do you require that
> > they also be solutions to the Schroedinger equation? Or are they
> > just any time-varying functions at all?
>
> I think they do have to satisfy the Schroedinger equation. Otherwise it
> wouldn't make much sense to think of them as worlds.
In that case, they won't affect each other at all, thanks to the
linearity of the Schroedinger equation. c_0 and c_1 will evolve
independently of each other.
> Anyway, I am not an expert or proponent of the many-worlds interpretation.
> I'm just trying to explain my admittedly shallow understanding of it, more
> in hopes of being corrected than anything else. Please take what I say
> with a grain of salt.
Sure. Nor am I a professional opponent of the many-worlds interpretation.
I too would welcome some answers. But it is my impression that the issues
simply have not been thought through.
-mitch
http://www.thehub.com.au/~mitch
Received on Fri Feb 20 1998 - 03:18:06 PST