General principles in the interpretation of quantum mechanics

TL;DR

This paper discusses the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, arguing that particles and collapse are not evidenced, and proposes a perception-based interpretation supported by theoretical and experimental considerations.

Contribution

It introduces a perception-based interpretation of quantum mechanics derived from core principles, challenging traditional particle and collapse concepts.

Findings

No experimental evidence for particles or collapse.

Linearity and invariance imply particles are properties of the state vector.

Probability law supports perception-based interpretation.

Abstract

The three major theoretical principles of quantum mechanics relevant to its interpretation are: (T1), linearity; (T2), invariance under certain groups; and (T3) the orthogonality and isolation of the different branches of the state vector. These three imply the particle-like properties of mass, energy, momentum, spin, charge, and locality are actually properties of the state vector; and this in turn implies there is no evidence for the existence of particles. Experimentally there is no evidence for collapse (E1) and theoretically linearity prohibits collapse. One also has the experimentally verified probability law (E2), which is found to rule out the many-worlds interpretation. The failure of these three major interpretation, particles, collapse, and many-worlds, apparently implies an acceptable interpretation must be based on perception. Rather than being a separate principle, probability follows in this interpretation from a weak assumption on perception plus the combinatorics when an experiment is run many times. This suggests a relatively simple experimental test of the perception interpretation.