Homepage of David Wallace
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I am a philosopher of physics at Oxford University. I hold a doctorate in physics from Oxford, but changed officially
to philosophy in 2002; I obtained a BPhil in Philosophy at Oxford in 2004.
Since October 2005 I have held a Tutorial Fellowship at Balliol College. I remain a DPhil student in philosophy at Magdalen College; I am currently working on a book on the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics, parts of which will comprise my DPhil thesis.
For links and more resources, and information on the philosophy of physics group at Oxford University, go to the Philosophy of Physics website. |
Fields of Research
My current research interests lie mostly in the philosophy of quantum mechanics. For the last few years I have primarily
worked on the Everett (Many-Worlds) interpretation of quantum theory, and on other interpretational issues linked to
the Everett interpretation
(such as whether the Bohm theory is `Everett in denial', and what the ontology of the quantum state actually consists of).
I have also worked on the conceptual foundations of quantum field theory and of statistical mechanics.
I have interests in decision theory, in inter-theoretic reduction, and in the functionalist theory of mind,
and in the ways in which they influence and constrain serious philosophy of physics (or, more accurately, the ways in which
they should influence
and constrain serious philosophy of physics).
My most recent and forthcoming papers
links are usually to the published version, or to copies of the preprint at the physics preprint archive
(http://arxiv.org) and
the philosophy of science preprint archive (http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu):
- The logic of the past hypothesis (DRAFT - do not quote or cite without permission)
(PDF) (PostScript)
- Gravity, Entropy, and Cosmology: In Search of Clarity, forthcoming in British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
(PDF) (PostScript)
- QFT, Antimatter, and Symmetry, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics v.40 pp.209-222 (2009)
(PDF of published version - requires subscription)
(PDF of preprint) (PostScript of preprint)
- A formal proof of the Born rule from decision-theoretic assumptions, to appear in Saunders, Barrett, Kent and Wallace (ed.),
Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality (OUP, forthcoming)
(PDF) (PostScript)
- Decoherence and Ontology, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love FAPP, to appear in Saunders, Barrett, Kent and Wallace (ed.),
Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality (OUP, forthcoming)
(PDF)
- The relativity and equivalence principles for self-gravitating systems, in submission
(PDF)
- Branching and Uncertainty (with Simon Saunders), British Journal for the Philosophy of Science v.59 pp.293-305 (2008)
(PDF of published version - requires subscription)
(PDF of preprint)
- Saunders and Wallace Reply [to this paper by Paul Tappenden] (with Simon Saunders), British Journal for the Philosophy of Science v.59 pp.315-317 (2008)
(PDF of published version - requires subscription)
(PDF of preprint)
- Quantum Mechanics on Spacetime I: Spacetime State Realism (with Chris Timpson), forthcoming in British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
(PDF)
- The Quantum Measurement Problem: State of Play, chapter 1 of D. Rickles (ed), The Ashgate Companion to the New Philosophy of Physics
(Ashgate, 2008)
(PDF) (PostScript)
My publications, by topic (and with abstracts)
Other information
Copyright David Wallace 2009. Last updated: 29 September, 2009