There is some current work on interpretations of quantum mechanics. How do you t

Question

There is some current work on interpretations of quantum mechanics. How do you think can interesting results in that area help physics? Can it change quantum physics or make it easier? Which interpretation has to potential to change practical QM calculations? I mean if MWI turns out the best, then so what? It neither provides more intuition nor makes it calculations easier.

If there are axioms and QM is derived from these, is there any practical value from this mathematical approach? I thought a statement like "it's the only mathematically consistent solution to the axioms", would provide no practical value?

How is knowledge about QFT important to interpretations of QM or is QFT merely a handy mathematical framework?

Explanation / Answer

Different viewpoints might highlight different aspects of quantum mechanics. In this way they may provide a starting point to extend quantum mechanics or deepen our understanding of related theories (specially the relationship between classical and quantum mechanics). Let me give you some examples of recent reformulations of quantum mechanics and their importance.

Feynmann path integrals: They provide the reinterpretation of transition probabilities being the 'sum' over all possible paths connecting the initial and the final state. Without this reformulation of qm and the associated Lagrangian-techniques much of QFT would be ridiculous to formulate/calculate.

Geometric quantum mechanics: In this language ones identify all the rays of hilbert space and considers the resulting infinite dimensional manifold (the quantum phase space). By doing this, one can find some 'axioms', which characterize the quantum phase space (these are not axioms in the general meaning; they are more or less properties of the manifold and it is not yet proven, that they define it uniquely). Then one can examine weaker axioms and so extend quantum mechanics in some way. (I think extending a existing theory is the most profound intension behind axiomatization.) See eg http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9706069

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