Philosophy of Physics Seminar (Thursday - Week 6, HT24)

We develop a new interpretation of quantum theory by combining insights from extended Wigner’s friend scenarios and quantum causal modelling. In this interpretation, which synthesizes ideas from relational quantum mechanics and consistent histories, events obtain relative to a set of systems, and correspond to projectors that are picked out by causal structure. We articulate these ideas using a precise mathematical formalism. Using this formalism, we show through specific examples and general constructions how quantum phenomena can be modelled and paradoxes avoided; how different scenarios may be classified and the framework of quantum causal models extended; and how one can approach decoherence and emergent classicality without relying on quantum states.

Based on a paper with Jonathan Barrett https://arxiv.org/pdf/2401.18005.pdf

With speaker’s consent, talks will be recorded and published on YouTube. Our channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/c/OxfordPhilosophyofPhysics/videos