739 research outputs found
Individuality, quasi-sets and the double-slit experiment
Quasi-set theory allows us to cope with certain collections of objects where the usual notion of identity is not applicable, in the sense that is not a formula, if is an arbitrary term. was partially motivated by the problem of non-individuality in quantum mechanics. In this paper I discuss the range of explanatory power of for quantum phenomena which demand some notion of indistinguishability among quantum objects. My main focus is on the double-slit experiment, a major physical phenomenon which was never modeled from a quasi-set-theoretic point of view. The double-slit experiment strongly motivates the concept of degrees of indistinguishability within a field-theoretic approach, and that notion is simply missing in . Nevertheless, other physical situations may eventually demand a revision on quasi-set theory axioms, if someone intends to use it in the quantum realm for the purpose of a clear discussion about non-individuality. I use this opportunity to suggest another way to cope with identity in quantum theories
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