pilot wave

plural pilot waves

1. natural sciencesA theoretical matter wave that guides the motion of point particles.

   To do their job, the pilot waves must travel to the far slit and return in time to influence the electron's path depending on whether that slit is open.

   1999, Alan A. Grometstein, The Roots of Things: Topics in Quantum Mechanics, →ISBN, page 321

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   The theory of the pilot wave is a proposal in order to undersand the basic ontology of the microworld as composed of two different entities given simultaneously: a wave and a particle.

   2001, Gennaro Auletta, Giorgio Parisi, Foundations and Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, →ISBN, page 471

   One of the functions of the pilot wave is to convey information, instantaneously, to the particle concerning any changes which are encountered by the pilot wave.

   2009, Bill Whitehouse, Mapping Mental Spaces - Volume 2, →ISBN, page 196

   The real component of the Schrödinger equation describes the behaviour of the particle (it acts as a pilot wave for the particle), while the imaginary component describes the behaviour of the quantum potential.

   2014, Mike Hockney, Why Math Must Replace Science, →ISBN

2. broadlyhuman sciencesA wavefunction on some measurement of information that guides the consciousness or behavior of individual people.

   The quadratic function varies essentially more strongly than the linear function, and, as a result, such a financial pilot wave induces a nontrivial financial force.

   2010, Andrei Y. Khrennikov, Ubiquitous Quantum Structure: From Psychology to Finance, →ISBN, page 163

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   Pilot waves and projections from the implicate order to the explicate order of sense-perceptible phenomena are inscrutable to our everyday consiousness, at least directly.

   1998, Michael Knapik, Developing Intelligent Agents for Distributed Systems, →ISBN, page 18

   Speaking in general terms, my hypothesis is that the pilot wave of my consciousness directs my consciousness through configuration space in the sense of actualizing these possibilities; e.g. a possible hue becomes an actual content of my visual awareness by virtue of being actualized by a mental wave-form, in particular, an intentional act. More exactly, as we shall see below, it is the more complex wave-form produced by the entaglement of my brain's pilot wave with the pilot wave of my consciousness that simultaneously actualizes the sensory quale and a set of nerve cell firings.

   2003, Quentin Smith, Aleksandar Jokic, Consciousness: New Philosophical Perspectives, →ISBN, page 430