Skip to main content
Log in

Irreversibility and quantum measurement—The observer’s role

  • Foundations Of Physics
  • Published:
Pramana Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The role of the observer in physical theories in the sense of the observer’s viewpoint determining prominent features of the observed phenomena is discussed with reference to the problem of irreversibility and quantum measurement, the latter being closely related to the problem of classical behaviour of quantum systems. A completely subjective interpretation of irreversibility is proposed. It is claimed that irreversibility belongs only to phenomena as observed by a restricted observer who must project all phenomena on a restricted subset of the set of all possible states. The possibility of a completely unrestricted observer who does not see irreversibility is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brillouin L 1951J. Appl. Phys. 22 334–338; 1960Science and information theory, Second edition (Academic Press, New York) p. 164

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Chew G F 1971Phys. Rev. D 4 2330

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • d’Espagnat B 1971Conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics (W. A. Benjamin Inc.)

  • Merzbacher E 1961Quantum mechanics (John Wiley, New York) p. 25

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfeld L 1972 inIrreversibility in the many-body problem ed J Biel and J Rae (Plenum Press, New York) p. 7

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrödinger E 1958Mind and matter (Cambridge University Press) p. 2

  • Zeh H D 1971Foundations of quantum mechanics ed B d’Espagnat (Academic Press, New York) p. 263

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bhandari, R. Irreversibility and quantum measurement—The observer’s role. Pramana - J. Phys. 3, 1–9 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02847264

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02847264

Keywords

Navigation