A Quantum Story

TL;DR

This paper offers an epistemological perspective on quantum mechanics, suggesting that the concept of discrete quanta underpins wave and statistical phenomena, aiming to clarify the theory's abstract aspects.

Contribution

It presents a heuristic, epistemological account of quantum mechanics, emphasizing how empirical principles lead to the wave and statistical nature of matter, differing from traditional ontological interpretations.

Findings

Quantum of discrete energy leads to wave behavior.

Empirical principles underpin the statistical nature of matter.

Provides physical insight into abstract quantum concepts.

Abstract

After the development of a self-consistent quantum formalism nearly a century ago there began a quest for how to interpret the theoretical constructs of the formalism. In fact, the pursuit of new interpretations of quantum mechanics persists to this day. Most of these endeavors assume the validity of standard quantum formalism and proceed to ponder the ontic nature of wave functions, operators, and the Sch\"{o}dinger equation. The present essay takes a different approach, more epistemological than ontological. I endeavor to give a heuristic account of how empirical principles lead us to a quantum mechanical description of the world. An outcome of this approach is the suggestion that the notion of discrete quanta leads to the wave nature and statistical behavior of matter rather than the other way around. Finally, the hope is to offer some solace to those older of us who still worry about such things and also to provide the neophyte student of quantum mechanics with physical insight into the mathematically abstract and often baffling aspects of the theory.