Hidden variables in quantum mechanics: Generic models, set-theoretic forcing, and the emergence of probability

Robert A. Van Wesep

Published 2005-06-06, updated 2005-06-07Version 2

The hidden-variables premise is shown to be equivalent to the existence of generic filters for algebras of commuting propositions and for certain more general propositional systems. The significance of this equivalence is interpreted in light of the theory of generic filters and boolean-valued models in set theory (the method of forcing). The apparent stochastic nature of quantum observation is derived for these hidden-variables models.