Bohmian Mechanics

TL;DR

Bohmian mechanics offers a realist interpretation of quantum mechanics where particles have definite positions and evolve according to a guiding wave, providing an observer-independent framework consistent with standard quantum predictions.

Contribution

This paper reviews Bohmian mechanics as a non-orthodox formulation of quantum theory emphasizing its fundamental axioms and predictive accuracy.

Findings

Particles have definite positions at all times.

Particle trajectories are guided by the wave function.

The theory reproduces standard quantum probabilities.

Abstract

Bohmian mechanics, also known as pilot-wave theory or de Broglie-Bohm theory, is a formulation of quantum mechanics whose fundamental axioms are not about what observers will see if they perform an experiment but about what happens in reality. It is therefore called a "quantum theory without observers," alongside with collapse theories and many-worlds theories and in contrast to orthodox quantum mechanics. It follows from these axioms that in a universe governed by Bohmian mechanics, observers will see outcomes with exactly the probabilities specified by the usual rules of quantum mechanics for empirical predictions. Specifically, Bohmian mechanics asserts that electrons and other elementary particles have a definite position at every time and move according to an equation of motion that is one of the fundamental laws of the theory and involves a wave function that evolves according to the usual Schr\"odinger equation. Bohmian mechanics is named after David Bohm (1917-1992), who was, although not the first to consider this theory, the first to realize (in 1952) that it actually makes correct predictions.