Whole Pattern, Local Event: A Whole-First Ontological Ordering of Wave and Particle in Quantum Theory
Abstract
Quantum theory is commonly narrated by beginning with objects already called photons, electrons, atoms, or molecules and then asking why those objects display wave-like behavior. Whole Pattern, Local Event (WPLE) reverses that explanatory order. Its ontological principle assigns priority to the Whole: the most fundamental quantum reality is not taken to be an assembly of independently localized corpuscles. The term wave names the Whole's intrinsic wave-like, non-corpuscular quantum character - expressed in quantum theory through phase-sensitive amplitudes, coherence, superposition, and nonseparability - without identifying the Whole with an ordinary oscillation in three-dimensional space or with any single wavefunction. In WPLE, particle-like localization manifests in local physical events such as detector transitions, ionizations, clicks, and other localized registrations. The localized morphology of such an event is not projected backward into a continuously localized corpuscular history unless independent physics warrants that description. Particle species, quantum numbers, and effective particle persistence remain intact. Standard quantum mechanics is compatible with this ordering but does not deductively establish it. The positive case for Whole-priority is abductive: nonseparability makes whole-state structure irreducible in important cases; the standard formalism does not require primitive corpuscular trajectories; localized events are nevertheless ubiquitous; and Whole-first ordering treats interference, entanglement, and localized registration without assigning rival wave and particle substances to one pre-given microscopic object. The paper distinguishes this proposal from Bohr, Everett, Bohm and Hiley, priority monism, relational quantum mechanics, Haag and Pashby, GRW flash ontology, decoherence, wave-function realism, and recent work by Goyal. WPLE does not introduce a new outcome-selection dynamics. Its central principle is compact: Whole (wave-like coherent/nonseparable quantum structure) + local interaction -> localized event (particle-like manifestation).
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BibTeX
@article{chaganty2026whole,
title = {{Whole Pattern, Local Event: A Whole-First Ontological Ordering of Wave and Particle in Quantum Theory}},
author = {Brahmar Chaganty and Hemal Jariwala},
journal = {Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22242316},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22242316},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Whole Pattern, Local Event: A Whole-First Ontological Ordering of Wave and Particle in Quantum Theory
AU - Brahmar Chaganty
AU - Hemal Jariwala
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
DO - 10.5281/zenodo.22242316
UR - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22242316
AB - Quantum theory is commonly narrated by beginning with objects already called photons, electrons, atoms, or molecules and then asking why those objects display wave-like behavior. Whole Pattern, Local Event (WPLE) reverses that explanatory order. Its ontological principle assigns priority to the Whole: the most fundamental quantum reality is not taken to be an assembly of independently localized corpuscles. The term wave names the Whole's intrinsic wave-like, non-corpuscular quantum character - expressed in quantum theory through phase-sensitive amplitudes, coherence, superposition, and nonseparability - without identifying the Whole with an ordinary oscillation in three-dimensional space or with any single wavefunction. In WPLE, particle-like localization manifests in local physical events such as detector transitions, ionizations, clicks, and other localized registrations. The localized morphology of such an event is not projected backward into a continuously localized corpuscular history unless independent physics warrants that description. Particle species, quantum numbers, and effective particle persistence remain intact. Standard quantum mechanics is compatible with this ordering but does not deductively establish it. The positive case for Whole-priority is abductive: nonseparability makes whole-state structure irreducible in important cases; the standard formalism does not require primitive corpuscular trajectories; localized events are nevertheless ubiquitous; and Whole-first ordering treats interference, entanglement, and localized registration without assigning rival wave and particle substances to one pre-given microscopic object. The paper distinguishes this proposal from Bohr, Everett, Bohm and Hiley, priority monism, relational quantum mechanics, Haag and Pashby, GRW flash ontology, decoherence, wave-function realism, and recent work by Goyal. WPLE does not introduce a new outcome-selection dynamics. Its central principle is compact: Whole (wave-like coherent/nonseparable quantum structure) + local interaction -> localized event (particle-like manifestation).
ER -