Quantum Wave Models -- About the Idea

Wherefore Wave Models?

The approach to quantum system modelling taken here is substantially different from that which has become the norm during the twentieth century.  The difference is in both the philosophy of the model at the most radical level, and also in the sort of maths that is used.  I hope that some physicists will at least find it to be of interest.  I hope in particular that this form of model will be recognised as fairly familiar in its style by those engineers and scientists with background in linear theory and differential equations, as is typically so for those working in signal processing, control theory and the dynamics of systems and structures.

Indeed, a large part of the original motivation for the quest was to see if a model could be assembled that would be of any use at all to help the visualisation and approximation style of engineering to be brought to bear on the so often logically intractable issues of quantum electrodynamics.  From an engineering point of view, the need to work with semiconductors alone is enough reason to try to do that.

The philosophy behind the model is sufficiently different from the conventional that I started the exploration of it firmly in the belief that I would eventually find how the existing theories would, by dint of good reason, block the path of its further development.  Gradually it has emerged that no such block in the path appears to exist, at least, not at the superficial levels.  Many of the "usual arguments" against such ideas have been encountered in various steps along the path, but so far all have yielded to meditative thought to find a rational alternative consistent with the principles of the wave model.

The main point to note from this model so far is that it reveals emergence of discrete quantal charge states from what is really a remarkably simple and purely continuous Klein-Gordon type of model with completed causal charge and current field structure.  Being a complete causally circular model it must produce a figure for the fine structure constant, and the value that it produces is within one percent of the observed value.  The prospect looks promising for the model to go a lot farther yet.

Will the path continue to develop through the rough countryside?  I don't know, but for me it is interesting, even compelling stuff.  I hope that it might be for some others too.

Tony Booth

London UK   March 2004

 

People Involved

As of mid-2006 this work is being supported by a small group called Laser Speckle Associates located in South London UK, and there is a slowly growing circle of other interested individuals.  The majority of the technical work and the maintenance of this web site fall to Tony Booth.  Francis Booth also helps with the graphics from time to time.  Would you, dear reader, also like to be involved?  If so then please phone or drop me a message, and let us see what can be arranged.
 

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my friends who have bothered to discuss these things with me.  In particular there is Barrie Tonkinson who is always encouraging, and also some members of the Cybernetics Society in London, especially Brian Warburton and Nick Green.  It was a suggestion by Professor Ludwik Finkelstein of the City University in London that triggered me to turn my attention to the quantum modelling path because of its promise as a concrete example of some more general cybernetics oriented ideas of modelling of emergence that I was developing around year 2000.