OK Corral: Local versus non-local QM

[Mentz114]

1. We can predict experimental results using QED.
2. The 4-potential $$A^{\mu}$$ is unobservable.

Surely we don't have to make a choice, but rely on experiment ?

 

[akhmeteli]

I disagree. A wavefunction is a much simpler thing than the collection of all humans and their experiments. Occam would tell you to derive the latter from the former (as in MWI) rather than somehow taking it as given.

Actually, it is quite possible that you can do without a wavefunction (I guess Occam would be happy) In http://www.arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0509044 , the Klein-Gordon-Maxwell electrodynamics is discussed, the unitary gauge is chosen (meaning the wavefunction is real), and it is proven that one can eliminate the wavefunction from the equations and formulate the Cauchy problem for the 4-potential of electromagnetic field. That means that if you know the 4-potential and its time derivatives at some moment in time, you can calculate them for any moment in time, or, in other words, the 4-potential evolves independently.