Complementarity of representations in quantum mechanics
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Standard
Complementarity of representations in quantum mechanics. / Halvorson, Hans.
I: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B - Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, Bind 35, Nr. 1, 03.2004, s. 45-56.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Complementarity of representations in quantum mechanics
AU - Halvorson, Hans
PY - 2004/3
Y1 - 2004/3
N2 - We show that Bohr's principle of complementarity between position and momentum descriptions can be formulated rigorously as a claim about the existence of representations of the canonical commutation relations. In particular, in any representation where the position operator has eigenstates, there is no momentum operator, and vice versa. Equivalently, if there are nonzero projections corresponding to sharp position values, all spectral projections of the momentum operator map onto the zero element.
AB - We show that Bohr's principle of complementarity between position and momentum descriptions can be formulated rigorously as a claim about the existence of representations of the canonical commutation relations. In particular, in any representation where the position operator has eigenstates, there is no momentum operator, and vice versa. Equivalently, if there are nonzero projections corresponding to sharp position values, all spectral projections of the momentum operator map onto the zero element.
KW - C-algebra
KW - Complementarity
KW - Hidden variables
KW - Quantum mechanics
U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2003.01.001
DO - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2003.01.001
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:0347123000
VL - 35
SP - 45
EP - 56
JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
SN - 1355-2198
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 289118988