Observables and unobservables in quantum mechanics: How the no-hidden-variables theorems support the Bohmian particle ontology

TL;DR

The paper argues that no-hidden-variables theorems actually support Bohmian quantum mechanics by emphasizing the role of position measurements and the ontological clarity of particle positions within the theory.

Contribution

It demonstrates that no-hidden-variables theorems reinforce the Bohmian ontology, clarifying the interpretation of measurement and properties in quantum mechanics.

Findings

No-hidden-variables theorems support Bohmian ontology.

Measurements reduce to position measurements in Bohmian theory.

Measurement interactions alter the state of the system.

Abstract

The paper argues that far from challenging - or even refuting - Bohm's quantum theory, the no-hidden-variables theorems in fact support the Bohmian ontology for quantum mechanics. The reason is that (i) all measurements come down to position measurements and (ii) Bohm's theory provides a clear and coherent explanation of the measurement outcome statistics based on an ontology of particle positions, a law for their evolution and a probability measure linked with that law. What the no-hidden-variables theorems teach us is that (i) one cannot infer the properties that the physical systems possess from observables and that (ii) measurements, being an interaction like other interactions, change the state of the measured system.