Copenhagenértelmezés

Copenhagenértelmezés is a term used primarily in Hungarian language discussions of quantum mechanics to refer to the interpretation developed by Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and other physicists in Copenhagen during the 1920s. It is the most widely taught interpretation of the quantum formalism, though it remains a subject of debate among physicists and philosophers of science. The interpretation was formulated to provide a coherent picture of how the mathematical framework of quantum theory can be applied to physical experiments. It emphasizes that the formalism predicts probabilities for measurement outcomes, and that the wave function is a tool for calculating these probabilities rather than representing a physical wave in space.

Key ideas attributed to the Copenhagenértelmezés include the dual wave–particle nature of systems, the principle of complementarity, and the role of measurement as an irreversible act that collapses the wave function to a definite state. It also adopts the principle that a quantum system cannot be described independently of the act of measurement, and that the classical world provides a necessary boundary for the application of quantum rules. In practice this means that observers must be described using classical terms and instruments and that quantum mechanics is a theory of probabilities for experimental outcomes.

Critics argue that the Copenhagenértelmezés leaves the measurement problem unresolved, that it is conceptually ambiguous, and that it conflicts with the motivation for seeking a single, observer‑independent ontology for quantum phenomena. Alternative interpretations, such as the many‑worlds, pilot‑wave, and objective collapse models, have been developed to address these concerns, but the Copenhagenértelmezés remains a staple of the teaching of quantum mechanics in physics curricula worldwide.