Why Everettians Should Appreciate the Transactional Interpretation

The attractive feature of the Everett approach is its admirable spirit of approaching the quantum puzzle with a Zen-like "beginner’s mind" in order to try to envision what the pure formalism might be saying about quantum reality, even if that journey leads to a strange place. It is argued that the transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics (TI), appropriately interpreted, shares the same motivation and achieves much more, with far fewer conceptual perplexities, by taking into account heretofore overlooked features of the quantum formalism itself (i.e. advanced states). In particular, TI does not need to talk about brain states, consciousness, or observers (rational or otherwise). In its possibilist variant (“PTI”), it shares the realist virtues of treating state vector branches as genuine dynamical entities, without having to explain how or why all of their associated outcomes actually happen (they don’t), how to account for a plenitude of counterpart observers in some coherent notion of trans-temporal identity of the bifurcating observers (observers don’t bifurcate in TI), nor how the certainty of all outcomes could be consistent with any coherent theory of probability, let alone the Born probability (the Born probability emerges naturally in TI). In short, TI is precisely the one-world interpretation Kent is looking for in his (2010)

Entanglement-enhanced spreading of correlations

Starting from a product initial state, equal-time correlations in nonrelativistic quantum lattice models propagate within a lightcone-like causal region. The presence of entanglement in the initial state can modify this behavior, enhancing and accelerating the growth of correlations. In this paper we give a quantitative description, in the form of Lieb-Robinson-type bounds on equal-time correlation functions, of the interplay of dynamics vs. initial entanglement in quantum lattice models out of equilibrium. We test the bounds against model calculations, and also discuss applications to quantum quenches, quantum channels, and Kondo physics.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure

The Quantum Liar Experiment in Cramer's Transactional Interpretation

Cramer's Transactional Interpretation (TI) is applied to the "Quantum Liar Experiment" (QLE). It is shown how some apparently paradoxical features can be explained naturally, albeit nonlocally (since TI is an explicitly nonlocal interpretation, at least from the vantage point of ordinary spacetime). At the same time, it is proposed that in order to preserve the elegance and economy of the interpretation, it may be necessary to consider offer and confirmation waves as propagating in a "higher space" of possibilities.Comment: Minor editing error correcte

The 'Delayed Choice Quantum Eraser' Neither Erases Nor Delays

It is demonstrated that 'quantum eraser' (QE) experiments do not erase any information. Nor do they demonstrate retrocausation or 'temporal nonlocality' in their 'delayed choice' form, beyond standard EPR correlations. It is shown that the erroneous erasure claims arise from assuming that the improper mixed state of the signal photon physically prefers either the 'which way' or 'both ways' basis, when no such preference is warranted. The latter point is illustrated through comparison of the QE spatial state space with the spin-1/2 space of particles in the EPR-spin experiment.Comment: Final version, to appear in Foundations of Physic

Conductor\u27s Guide to Mark Camphouse\u27s To Build A Fire

This thesis is a guide to understanding and performing Mark Camphouse’s composition, To Build A Fire. The thesis includes a biography of Jack London and a literary analysis of London’s short story “To Build A Fire,” upon which the composition is based. Musical analysis of the Camphouse composition, rehearsal considerations, and performance considerations are also discussed. The literary analysis provides background for the composition and a starting platform for the musical analysis. The musical analysis parallels the composition with the short story. This analysis also provides some technical considerations of the instrumental parts. The rehearsal considerations include a rehearsal plan, discussion of the conductor’s preparation, and some rehearsal guidelines. The performance consideration section includes ensemble seating and how to introduce the audience to the work. The conclusion of the thesis states that when the steps used for score study are applied to the Camphouse piece, the information uncovered is valuable to the performance