Quantum

Unpublished Schrödinger Manuscript Reveals His Challenge to Quantum Randomness Claims

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Briefings

An unpublished 1944 Schrödinger manuscript titled 'Collapse of Determinism' challenges the claim that hidden variables could not explain quantum randomness. The study reveals Schrödinger constructed a deterministic model for individual photons that reproduced Malus’ law statistics while preserving randomness at the individual level. This work was analyzed by Flavio Del Santo, who identified it as a counterexample to a 1932 von Neumann argument, not a complete theory of quantum physics.

Key points

• Schrödinger's 1944 draft 'Collapse of Determinism' successfully reproduced Malus’ law statistics for individual photons using a deterministic model.
• The manuscript explicitly demonstrates how a hidden number between 0 and 1 determines photon transmission, restoring the distribution needed for subsequent measurements.

Context

The manuscript emerged from a 1944-1945 dispute over whether quantum mechanics ended the scientific case for a predictable universe. It complicates the view of Schrödinger as a determinism defender, showing he constructed a model to expose weaknesses in arguments rather than establish how nature works.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to a single handwritten draft from the University of Vienna's Austrian Central Library for Physics. The document is undated and consists of three pages, with analysis restricted to the specific 1944-1945 debate context and the 1932 von Neumann argument.

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