On Fri, Aug 1, 2025 at 11:15 PM Alan Grayson <[email protected]> wrote:
*> we can use S's eqn with known boundary conditions to calculate the wf > for a particular system. This wf is a mathematical function. * > *OK* *> Then, to get a probability for measuring a particular eigenvalue, we > must take the inner product of this function with another function, the > superposition of states, to get a real value less than one. But since this > superposition has unknown, complex, multiplicative factors for each > eigenfunction in its sum, how can we get a probability value from this > procedure? * > *If as you say we can "calculate the wf for a particular system" then we must know the complex, multiplicative factors that make up that wave function, and we would know them if an electron had passed through a Stern–Gerlach magnet, or a photon passed through a polarizing filter. * *If you don't know those complex, multiplicative factors then Schrodinger's equation cannot help you, but Quantum Mechanics is hardly unique in that regard. Newton can't tell you where a baseball is going to be in 3 seconds unless you tell him where the baseball is now and what its velocity is.* *John K Clark See what's on my new list at Extropolis <https://groups.google.com/g/extropolis>* rv2 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CAJPayv1%3D_On4WiWKqF%2BEF8LazWhB-4Y2eo0w%3DafakJfp-K2VuQ%40mail.gmail.com.
