Hidden variables

Hidden variables refer to unobserved or latent factors that are not directly measured in a study or experiment but may influence the behavior or outcomes of the observed variables. In various fields, the concept of hidden variables is crucial for understanding underlying mechanisms, causality, and the relationships between different phenomena.

Hidden variable theory is a concept in quantum mechanics that proposes the existence of additional parameters or variables (referred to as "hidden variables") that determine the behavior of quantum systems. These hidden variables are thought to provide a more complete description of quantum phenomena, potentially addressing the randomness and indeterminacy inherent in standard quantum mechanics. In standard quantum mechanics, the outcomes of measurements are probabilistic.

Latent variable models (LVMs) are statistical models that describe relationships between observed variables and one or more unobserved (latent) variables. These latent variables are not directly measurable but are inferred from the observed data. The key idea is that the latent variables encapsulate underlying structures or processes that can explain the relationships among the observed data.

In the context of physics, particularly quantum mechanics, a "hidden variable" refers to an unobservable property or parameter that deterministically influences the outcomes of quantum measurements. The term is often associated with theories that attempt to explain the seemingly random behavior of quantum systems by positing that there are underlying factors we cannot measure or observe directly. In quantum mechanics, the outcomes of measurements are fundamentally probabilistic, as described by the wave function and governed by the principles of superposition and entanglement.