Relativistic Quantum Mechanics Through Frame-Dependent Constructions

This paper is concerned with the possibility and nature of relativistic hidden-variable formulations of quantum mechanics. Both ad hoc teleological constructions of spacetime maps and frame-dependent constructions of spacetime maps are considered. While frame-dependent constructions are clearly preferable, they provide neither mechanical nor causal explanations for local quantum events. Rather, the hiddenvariable dynamics used in such constructions is just a rule that helps to characterize the set of all possible spacetime maps. But while having neither mechanical nor causal explanations of the values of quantummechanical measurement records is a significant cost, it may simply prove too much to ask for such explanations in relativistic quantum mechanics.[1] 1 Teleological Constructions It is difficult to find a satisfactory formulation of relativistic quantum mechanics. More specifically, it is difficult to provide a dynamical account of the process of measurement and the production of determinate measurement records that is compatible with the constraints of relativity (Barrett 2003). This paper concerns the most direct way of providing a hidden-variable formulation of quantum mechanics that is compatible with relativity. The strategy guarantees determinate measurement records but ultimately forfeits any