A survey on uncertainty relations and quantum measurements

TL;DR

This survey critically examines the philosophical foundations of Uncertainty Relations and Quantum Measurements, arguing that UR lack essential physical significance and proposing a new perspective on QMS as transmission processes for stochastic data.

Contribution

It reveals deficiencies in the traditional philosophy of UR and proposes describing QMS as transmission processes for stochastic data, challenging existing interpretations.

Findings

UR are either historical conventions or limited formulas

UR have no essential connection with genuine QMS descriptions

QMS can be modeled as transmission processes for stochastic data

Abstract

This survey tries to investigate the truths and deficiencies of prevalent philosophy about Uncertainty Relations (UR) and Quantum Measurements (QMS). The respective philosophy, known as being eclipsed by unfinished controversies, is revealed to be grounded on six basic precepts. But one finds that all the respective precepts are discredited by insurmountable deficiencies. So, in regard to UR, the alluded philosophy discloses oneself to be an unjustified mythology. Then UR appear either as short-lived historical conventions or as simple and limited mathematical formulas, without any essential significance for physics. Such a finding reinforces the Dirac's prediction that UR "`in their present form will not survive in the physics of future"'. The noted facets of UR motivate reconsiderations of associated debates on QMS. Mainly one reveals that, properly, UR have not any essential connection with genuine descriptions of QMS. For such descriptions, it is necessary that, mathematically, the quantum observables to be considered as random variables. The measuring scenarios with a single sampling, such are wave function collapse or Schrodinger's cat thought experiment, are revealed as being useless exercises. We propose to describe QMS as transmission processes for stochastic data. Note that the above-announced revaluation of UR and QMS philosophy does not disturb in any way the practical framework of the usual quantum mechanics.