Wikipedia: History of Everett many-worlds interpretation

Difference (from prior major revision) (minor diff, author diff)

Changed: 1,12c1,2

Paraphrased from question 2 (What is many-worlds?) of
http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm since I'm not sure the
original author would agree to the GNU FDL. What follows is
therefore subject to the possibility of misinterpretation on
my part.

This interpretation originated with Hugh Everett III's 1956
paper, "The Theory of the Universal Wavefunction, Princeton
thesis", which appears in the book The Many-worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Bryce S DeWitt?,
R Neill Graham, eds, Princeton Series in Physics, Princeton
University Press (1973) ISBN 0-691-08126-3 (amazon.com, search) (hard cover),
ISBN 0-691-88131-X (amazon.com, search) (paper back). The phrase "many worlds" is due

This interpretation of quantum mechanics originated with Hugh Everett III in 1956.
The phrase "many worlds" is due

Changed: 19c9

unlike the Copenhagen interpretation which considers the

Changed: 21,25c11,12

interpretation, the Schrodinger wave equation holds all
the time everywhere. (Perhaps this means
that wavefunction collapse represents some kind of transient
violation of the wave equation? My knowledge of quantum
mechanics is way too shallow to answer that.)

interpretation, the Schrödinger wave equation holds all
the time everywhere.

Changed: 29c16

modelled by applying the Schrodinger wave equation to the

modelled by applying the Schrödinger wave equation to the

Changed: 31,33c18

consequence is that every observation (a thermodynamically
irreversible process) causes the universal wavefunction to
decohere into two or more non-interacting branches. Since

consequence is that every observation causes the universal wavefunction to decohere into two or more non-interacting branches, or "worlds". Since

Changed: 43c28

entangled and it is no longer possible to consider them

Added: 54a40,45

References:
* "The Many-worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics" by Bryce S DeWitt?, R Neill Graham, eds, Princeton Series in Physics, Princeton University Press (1973)
* [Michael Price's Everett FAQ]

	Revision 6 . . (edit) December 19, 2001 7:25 pm by CYD *[ link to entanglement]**
	Revision 5 . . (edit) December 10, 2001 6:29 pm by CYD *[ Measurement is not really thermodynamically irreversible in many worlds.]**
	Revision 4 . . August 15, 2001 1:25 am by AxelBoldt [Cleaning up: references at the end]
	Revision 3 . . (edit) July 27, 2001 11:30 am by WillWare [added an ISBN to make Amazon/Price-thingy link appear]