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Quantum Mechanics: Myths and Facts

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Abstract

A common understanding of quantum mechanics (QM) among students and practical users is often plagued by a number of “myths”, that is, widely accepted claims on which there is not really a general consensus among experts in foundations of QM. These myths include wave-particle duality, time-energy uncertainty relation, fundamental randomness, the absence of measurement-independent reality, locality of QM, nonlocality of QM, the existence of well-defined relativistic QM, the claims that quantum field theory (QFT) solves the problems of relativistic QM or that QFT is a theory of particles, as well as myths on black-hole entropy. The fact is that the existence of various theoretical and interpretational ambiguities underlying these myths does not yet allow us to accept them as proven facts. I review the main arguments and counterarguments lying behind these myths and conclude that QM is still a not-yet-completely-understood theory open to further fundamental research.

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  1. Theoretical Physics Division, Rudjer Bošković Institute, P.O.B. 180, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Hrvoje Nikolić

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Nikolić, H. Quantum Mechanics: Myths and Facts. Found Phys 37, 1563–1611 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-007-9176-y

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