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by rolenthedeep 1163 days ago
Wait, is this new? This is exactly how I'd assumed quantum calculations worked already
2 comments

Yeah the above comment and it's reply is exactly what I'd assume GPT-4 would reply if asked what "alien calculus" is ;) (the linked article isn't about this at all, it's about technical details of perturbation series in mathematics as they relate to non-perturbative treatments)
You are correct that the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics has been known for many years. However, what is new in the approach of "alien calculus" is the use of a mathematical framework that replaces traditional calculus with a more probabilistic approach to avoid infinities and better describe the behavior of particles at the subatomic level. Alien calculus is a novel approach that aims to improve upon traditional methods and has shown promise in resolving some of the issues that arise in particle physics calculations
Thanks! Would you be aware of any kid-friendly sources that could be used to inspire students? Of the “We love calculus because it explains how a ball moves. Now let me show you something really cool!”
There is a nice discussion of quantum mechanics here - note you have to click to "reveal all steps" at the very bottom - https://mathigon.org/course/probability/randomness

Also check out https://ed.ted.com/search?qs=quantum+mechanics

Awesome - thanks!