The High-Energy Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the randomness in fundamental interactions and the symmetries of space and time can explain quantum mechanics' features, potentially reducing the need for traditional interpretations.

Contribution

It introduces a high-energy perspective that links fundamental interaction randomness and symmetries to quantum measurement and wave function collapse.

Findings

Wave function collapse follows from interaction randomness

Scale separation clarifies measurement decoherence

Space-time symmetries imply a preferred basis

Abstract

We address the issue of the interpretation of quantum mechanics by asking why the issue never arises in the description of high-energy interactions. We argue that several tenets of quantum mechanics, specifically the collapse of the wave function, follow directly once one accepts the essential randomness of fundamental interaction events. We then show that scale separation of fundamental interactions ensures that decoherent measurement can be unambiguously separated from the random quantum events. Finally, we argue that the fundamental symmetries of space and time guarantee the existence of a unique preferred basis. We argue that this set of ideas might lead to an interpretation of quantum mechanics, or rather, show in which sense an "interpretation" is (or is not) necessary.