Ockham's razor and the interpretations of quantum mechanics

TL;DR

This paper explores how Ockham's razor, a principle favoring simpler theories, can be applied to interpretational issues in quantum mechanics, analyzing historical, philosophical, and heuristic perspectives.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of Ockham's razor's application to quantum interpretations and discusses modern heuristics in the context of theoretical simplicity.

Findings

Ockham's razor can be used to compare quantum interpretations based on assumptions.

Historical analysis links Ockham's razor to medieval philosophy and modern physics.

Modern heuristics relate to Ockham's principle in the absence of experimental evidence.

Abstract

Ockham's razor is a heuristic concept applied in philosophy of science to decide between two or more feasible physical theories. Ockham's razor operates by deciding in favour of the theory with least assumptions and concepts; roughly speaking, the less complex theory. Could Ockham's razor not easily treat the different interpretations as theories and decide in favour of the one with fewest assumptions? We provide an answer to this question by means of examples of applications in literature and the discussion of its historical origin. We review the historical context of Ockham's razor and its connection to medieval philosophical struggles, discuss the essence of its parsimonious core and put it in relation with modern struggles in the context of interpretational issues in Quantum Mechanics. Due to the lack of experimental evidences in string theory, a new field of modern heuristics arose in the last years. We will discuss these heuristics in the context of Ockham-related heuristic methods and analyse the connection of these heuristics with the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics.