Probability and typicality in deterministic physics

Meir Hemmo, Orly Shenker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the relation between the notion of typicality and the notion of probability and the related question of how the choice of measure in deterministic theories in physics may be justified. Recently it has been argued that although the notion of typicality is not a probabilistic notion, it plays a crucial role in underwriting probabilistic statements in classical statistical mechanics and in Bohm’s theory. We argue that even in theories with deterministic dynamics, like classical statistical mechanics and Bohm’s theory, the notion of probability can be understood as fundamentally objective, and that it is the notion of probability rather than typicality that may (sometimes) have an explanatory value.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)575-586
Number of pages12
JournalErkenntnis
Volume80
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research is supported by the Israel Academy of Science, Grant Number 713/10 and by the German-Israel Foundation, Grant Number 1054/09.

Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Philosophy
  • Logic

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