Schrödinger's ball‽

[Alan Clifford]

If you hit a golf ball off the tee and there is no-one there to hear you say, "Provisional", you must inform someone as soon as possible.

For a period of time, whether the ball is provisional or not depends upon an event that may or may not occur and so the ball is both provisional and not provisional at the same time.

Schrödinger's ball‽

 

[Neilds]

Slow day?

 

[Orikoru]

You're a strange one.

 

[Voyager EMH]

You're a strange one.

Or he could be a charm one.

 

[Hobbit]

If you can’t find it, the cat pinched it.

 

[IanM]

Maybe @MACM85 ’s committee member was hiding in the bushes 100 yards away and knows what happened!

 

[MACM85]

Maybe @MACM85 ’s committee member was hiding in the bushes 100 yards away and knows what happened!

Haha I do keep an eye out for all bushes at our golf course expecting to see a little telescopic head appearing!

 

[backwoodsman]

I'm intrigued to know what (sort of) event it is that may, or may not, happen that cause it to be Schrodinger's cat's ball. I'm more in the 'flip' camp. It's definitely provisional until suddenly it definitely isn't.

 

[Voyager EMH]

If you hit a golf ball off the tee and there is no-one there to hear you say, "Provisional", you must inform someone as soon as possible.

For a period of time, whether the ball is provisional or not depends upon an event that may or may not occur and so the ball is both provisional and not provisional at the same time.

Schrödinger's ball‽

The ball exists and continues to exist whether or not it has acquired the state of provisionalness.

The question is really, "Has the ball acquired the state of provisionalness as the player has communicated the word "provisional" or can it become to exist in the state of provisionalness if and only if another person witnesses the state of provisionalness being bestowed upon the ball by the player?"

Another interesting question is the definition of "the ball in play".
Should a player die after striking the ball, while the ball is in motion, is it a ball in play, since the player who struck the ball no longer exists as a player? (Notwithstanding foursomes)

If a player should die shortly after striking the ball and while the ball is still in motion that ball goes into the hole, has a dead person achieved a hole-in-one?
Or has the ball ceased to be a ball in play at the moment of death, because without a player existing there can be no ball in play?

If this were foursomes, however, one player is still alive and could tee off at the next hole and if it were the 18th and the player achieves a hole in one, is the round completed or must both players be alive to achieve the state of a completed round?

 

[rulefan]

If you hit a golf ball off the tee and there is no-one there to hear you say, "Provisional", you must inform someone as soon as possible.

For a period of time, whether the ball is provisional or not depends upon an event that may or may not occur and so the ball is both provisional and not provisional at the same time.

Schrödinger's ball‽

Sorry to spoil the fun but the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so. If he doesn't declare it, it is no longer a provisional.
The rule covers it.
If the player does not announce this (even if they intended to play a provisional ball) and plays a ball from where the previous stroke was made, that ball is the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.1).

 

[rulefan]

If this were foursomes, however, one player is still alive and could tee off at the next hole and if it were the 18th and the player achieves a hole in one, is the round completed or must both players be alive to achieve the state of a completed round?

Only if it was the alive player's turn to tee off.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Only if it was the alive player's turn to tee off.

Clearly it was, since the dead player, while still living, teed off at the previous hole.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Sorry to spoil the fun but the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so. If he doesn't declare it, it is no longer a provisional.
The rule covers it.
If the player does not announce this (even if they intended to play a provisional ball) and plays a ball from where the previous stroke was made, that ball is the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.1).

I don't understand this. Has the word "not" been omitted?
Otherwise the statement seems to say that a ball loses its state of provisionalness at the moment the player declares it to acquire the state of provisionalness.

 

[rulefan]

I don't understand this. Has the word "not" been omitted?
Otherwise the statement seems to say that a ball loses its state of provisionalness at the moment the player declares it to acquire the state of provisionalness.

Where should the "not" be inserted?

 

[Backsticks]

Sorry to spoil the fun but the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so. If he doesn't declare it, it is no longer a provisional.
The rule covers it.
If the player does not announce this (even if they intended to play a provisional ball) and plays a ball from where the previous stroke was made, that ball is the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.1).

So in fact there is no such thing as quantum superposition for a provisional ball. The state is determined by the announcing or not of the intent to play a provisional prior to playing it. No announcement, not a provisional. Announcement that it is a provisional, it is a provisional. Effectively the box is never closed and one knows at all moments whether the cat is dead or alive ?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Where should the "not" be inserted?

"the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so."

To me this means the ball ceases to exist in its state of provisionalness at the moment when the player declares it to be a provisional. (This seems odd to me)

"the ball is not a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so."

To me this means the ball enters into a state of provisionalness at the moment the player declares it to be a provisional. (This seems reasonable to me)

 

[cliveb]

So in fact there is no such thing as quantum superposition for a provisional ball.

Surely every ball not currently in play is both a provisional and not a provisional until it is put into play in one or other state?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Surely every ball not currently in play is both a provisional and not a provisional until it is put into play in one or other state?

I believe this is true.

But the statement does not include the possibility of a third state that is neither provisional or not-provisional.
This third state could be a neutral state.

If there is no such thing as this neutral state, then a ball not in play that is in a not-provisional state could be a "potentially provisional" or maybe "provisionally provisional".

 

[rulefan]

"the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so."

To me this means the ball ceases to exist in its state of provisionalness at the moment when the player declares it to be a provisional. (This seems odd to me)

"the ball is not a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so."

To me this means the ball enters into a state of provisionalness at the moment the player declares it to be a provisional. (This seems reasonable to me)

If the player does not announce this (even if they intended to play a provisional ball) and plays a ball from where the previous stroke was made, that ball is the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.1).

If the player intends it to be a provisional and there is no one to declare it to it is a provisional. A later declaration is simply a confirmation.
My reading of the words in the rule is that playing the ball from the same place without a subsequent declaration renders it not a provisional, so it must have been a provisional until that point. It was not the ball in play.

However, if there is no one within earshot the confirmation of its status could take a while to determine. Bur IMO it doesn't make any difference to its Rule status.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I get it now.

"the ball is a provisional until the player has the opportunity to declare it as so. If he doesn't declare it, it is no longer a provisional."

Might have been clearer if written,

"the ball is a provisional. When the player has the opportunity to declare it as so, if he doesn't declare it, it is no longer a provisional."