{"title":"What Is Ontic and What Is Epistemic in the Quantum Mechanics of Spin?","authors":"Ariel Caticha","doi":"10.3390/e27030315","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Entropic Dynamics (ED) provides a framework that allows the reconstruction of the formalism of quantum mechanics by insisting on ontological and epistemic clarity and adopting entropic methods and information geometry. Our present goal is to extend the ED framework to account for spin. The result is a <i>realist</i> ψ<i>-epistemic model</i> in which the ontology consists of a particle described by a definite position plus a discrete variable that describes Pauli's peculiar two-valuedness. The resulting dynamics of probabilities is, as might be expected, described by the Pauli equation. What may be unexpected is that the generators of transformations-Hamiltonians and angular momenta, including spin, are all granted clear epistemic status. To the old question, 'what is spinning?' ED provides a crisp answer: <i>nothing is spinning</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":11694,"journal":{"name":"Entropy","volume":"27 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11941182/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Entropy","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/e27030315","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
摘要
熵动力学(Entropic Dynamics,简称 ED)提供了一个框架,通过坚持本体论和认识论的清晰性,并采用熵方法和信息几何,可以重建量子力学的形式主义。我们目前的目标是扩展 ED 框架,以解释自旋。其结果是一个现实主义的ψ-认识论模型,其中的本体包括一个由确定位置描述的粒子和一个描述泡利奇特的两值性的离散变量。由此产生的概率动态,正如人们所预料的那样,由泡利方程描述。令人意想不到的是,变换的发生器--哈密顿和角动量,包括自旋,都被赋予了明确的认识论地位。对于 "什么是自旋?教育学给出了明确的答案:没有什么是旋转的。
What Is Ontic and What Is Epistemic in the Quantum Mechanics of Spin?
Entropic Dynamics (ED) provides a framework that allows the reconstruction of the formalism of quantum mechanics by insisting on ontological and epistemic clarity and adopting entropic methods and information geometry. Our present goal is to extend the ED framework to account for spin. The result is a realist ψ-epistemic model in which the ontology consists of a particle described by a definite position plus a discrete variable that describes Pauli's peculiar two-valuedness. The resulting dynamics of probabilities is, as might be expected, described by the Pauli equation. What may be unexpected is that the generators of transformations-Hamiltonians and angular momenta, including spin, are all granted clear epistemic status. To the old question, 'what is spinning?' ED provides a crisp answer: nothing is spinning.
期刊介绍:
Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300), an international and interdisciplinary journal of entropy and information studies, publishes reviews, regular research papers and short notes. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish as much as possible their theoretical and experimental details. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. If there are computation and the experiment, the details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced.