On the Conceptual Issues Surrounding the Notion of Relational Bohmian Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores the conceptual challenges of developing a relational Bohmian mechanics that eliminates fundamental space and time, aiming for a more parsimonious ontology and addressing timelessness in quantum systems.

Contribution

It proposes a relational framework for Bohmian mechanics based on best-matching, highlighting conceptual advantages and clarifying the timeless nature of quantum dynamics.

Findings

Relational Bohmian theory can be constructed without fundamental space and time.

The relational approach offers a more parsimonious ontology than standard Bohmian mechanics.

It provides insights into the timelessness of quantum dynamics in relational systems.

Abstract

The paper presents a program to construct a non-relativistic relational Bohmian theory, that is, a theory of $N$ moving point-like particles that dispenses with space and time as fundamental background structures. The relational program proposed is based on the best-matching framework originally developed by Julian Barbour. In particular, the paper focuses on the conceptual problems that arise when trying to implement such a program. It is argued that pursuing a relational strategy in the Bohmian context leads to a more parsimonious ontology than that of standard Bohmian mechanics without betraying the original motivations for adopting a primitive ontology approach to quantum physics. It is also shown how a relational Bohmian approach might clarify the issue of the timelessness of the dynamics resulting from the quantization of a classical relational system of particles.