Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The Uncertainty Principle

The Uncertainty Principle

Werner Heisenberg considered the limits of how accurately one can measure properties of an electron or other microscopic particles. He determined that there is a fundamental limit to how accurately one can measure both a particle’s position and its momentum simultaneously. The more accurate the measurement of the momentum of a particle is known, the less accurate the position at that time is known and vice versa. This is what is now called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. He...

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom

Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra.

Quantum Numbers

Quantum Numbers

It is said that the energy of an electron in an atom is quantized; that is, it can be equal only to certain specific values and can jump from one energy level to another but not transition smoothly or stay between these levels.

Indeterminate Structure

Indeterminate Structure

Indeterminate structures refer to structures where internal forces and reactions cannot be determined using only the equations of static equilibrium. Indeterminate structures have more unknown forces and reaction forces than equations of static equilibrium that can be used to determine them. Indeterminate structures are often used in engineering to create complex, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing structures. There are various types of indeterminate structures used in engineering and...

Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error

Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error

An experiment often consists of more than a single step. In this case, measurements at each step give rise to uncertainty. Because the measurements occur in successive steps, the uncertainty in one step necessarily contributes to that in the subsequent step. As we perform statistical analysis on these types of experiments, we must learn to account for the propagation of uncertainty from one step to the next. The propagation of uncertainty depends on the type of arithmetic operation performed on...

The Pauli Exclusion Principle

The Pauli Exclusion Principle

The arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom is called its electron configuration. We describe an electron configuration with a symbol that contains three pieces of information:

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The general-relativistic case for super-substantivalism.

Synthese·2022

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

Quantum modal indeterminacy.

Claudio Calosi¹

¹University of Geneve, Department of Philosophy, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: https://www.claudiocalosi.xyz/.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science

|September 9, 2022

Summary

This study explores quantum indeterminacy within the Modal Hamiltonian Interpretation (MHI), revealing how and why it arises. It provides a physics-based example of genuine metaphysical indeterminacy.

Keywords:

Determinable-based quantum indeterminacy Modal interpretations of quantum mechanics Quantum indeterminacy Quantum properties ontologies

More Related Videos

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

Area of Science:

Quantum mechanics
Metaphysics
Philosophy of physics

Background:

The nature of quantum indeterminacy remains a central debate in quantum mechanics.
Realist interpretations offer frameworks for understanding quantum phenomena.
The Modal Hamiltonian Interpretation (MHI) provides a specific realist perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the existence and nature of quantum indeterminacy within the MHI.
To elucidate the origins of indeterminacy in a quantum world as described by the MHI.
To present a naturalistic example of genuine metaphysical indeterminacy derived from physics.

Main Methods:

Analysis of the Modal Hamiltonian Interpretation (MHI).
Examination of the ontology of properties for quantum systems within the MHI framework.
Philosophical inquiry into the concept of metaphysical indeterminacy.

Main Results:

The MHI, combined with a specific property ontology, demonstrates the emergence of quantum indeterminacy.
Indeterminacy in this interpretation arises from the inherent structure of quantum properties.
The study identifies a concrete, physics-based instance of metaphysical indeterminacy.

Conclusions:

The MHI provides a coherent framework for understanding quantum indeterminacy.
Quantum indeterminacy can be understood as a form of genuine metaphysical indeterminacy.
This research bridges foundational quantum mechanics with metaphysical discussions.