Re: Time to resurrect stochastic quantum mechanics?

Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 18:25:13 -0800
From: Paul Easton <paul@brl4.med.nyu.edu>
To: quantum-d list 
Subject: QUANTUM-D: Re: Time to resurrect stochastic quantum mechanics?

  In 
   http://www.teleport.com/~rhett/quantum-d/posts/vjs_12-18.html
    Vic Stenger wrote:

   > Thus a stochastic interpretation in which the Brownian motion occurs 
   > in spacetime, so that steps backward in coordinate time are allowed 
   > (proper time continues to change monotonically) provides a picture of 
   > definite particle paths that still gives all the results of quantum 
   > mechanics...

1) The Schrodinger equation is not "just" a diffusion equation. The 
   factor i that multiplies the time derivative makes it a complex 
   field equation. Given an initial condition whose absolute square 
   is a guassian function the absolute square solution will look like 
   diffusion. However the simplest solution is a propagating complex 
   plane wave. It is not clear how this would be enabled by Brownian 
   motion.

   In any case, if one had a derivation for Schrodinger's equation 
   consistent with vacuum fluctuations, it would be interesting but 
   almost as weird as current theory. One still has the unphysical 
   complex field. And the reasoning may be circular. Could one derive 
   vacuum fluctuations without using Schrodinger's equation?

2) In any case the weirdest thing about QM is not the wave equation 
   but measurement theory. Can the Brownian motion approach help us 
   here?

   Paul Easton <paul@brl4.med.nyu.edu>