2016/09/18 by Saunders, Simon
#FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1609.05504
This is a systematic review of the concept of indistinguishability in both classical and quantum mechanics, with particular attention to Gibbs' paradox. Section 1 is on the Gibbs paradox; section 2 is a defense of the concept of classical indistinguishability, that addresses (and refutes) the view that classical particles can always be distinguished by their trajectories so are distinguishable. Section 3 is on the notion of object more generally, and on whether indistinguishables should be thought of as objects at all