David Wallace, Pittsburgh, books

Curriculum Vitae

Last updated 7/20/2024

Personal

Born 1976 in San Rafael, California; US/UK dual citizen. Currently resident in Pittsburgh, USA.

Employment

  • 2019-present: W.A. Mellon Professor of Philosophy of Science, with joint appointments in the Philosophy Department and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh.
  • 2016-2019: Professor of Philosophy at the School of Philosophy, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California.
  • 2014-2016: Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy, and Vice-Master (academic), at Balliol College, Oxford, and Professor in Philosophy of Physics at the University of Oxford.
  • 2005-2014: Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford, and Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford.
  • 2004-5: Fellow by Examination (Junior Research Fellow) at Magdalen College, Oxford
  • 2002: Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Centre for Quantum Computation, Oxford University

Education

  • 2004-2010: DPhil student in Philosophy, Magdalen College, Oxford, supervised by Prof. Simon Saunders. My DPhil ("The Emergent Multiverse: Quantum Theory according to the Everett Interpretation") was greatly delayed when I was appointed to a permanent teaching position at Oxford, but was submitted in April 2010 and passed its examination in September 2010.
  • 2002-2004: BPhil student in Philosophy, Magdalen College, Oxford. Distinction.
  • 1998-2001: DPhil student in Physics, Merton College, Oxford, supervised by Prof. Artur Ekert. My DPhil ("Issues in the Foundations of Relativistic Quantum Theory") was submitted in January 2002 and passed its examination in April 2002.
  • 1994-1998: MPhys student in Physics, Merton College, Oxford.
  • 1987-1994: Bedford School, UK.

Publications - Books

  1. D. Wallace, Philosophy of Physics: a Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2021).
  2. D. Wallace, The Emergent Multiverse: Quantum Theory according to the Everett Interpretation (OUP, 2012).
  3. S. Saunders, J. Barrett, A. Kent and D. Wallace (ed.), Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality (OUP, 2010).

Publications - papers in peer-reviewed journals (including accepted papers awaiting publication)

  1. D. Wallace, Gauge Invariance through Gauge Fixing, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, forthcoming.
  2. D. Wallace, Deutsch's "Quantum Theory as a Universal Physical Theory", International Journal of Theoretical Physics 62 (2023), 215.
  3. D. Wallace, The Sky is Blue, and Other Reasons Quantum Mechanics is Not Underdetermined by Evidence,European Journal for Philosophy of Science 13 (2023) 54.
  4. D. Wallace, A Bayesian analysis of self-undermining arguments in physics, Analysis 83 (2023) 295-298.
  5. D. Wallace, Quantum Gravity at Low Energies, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science 94 (2022), 31-46.
  6. D. Wallace, "Life and Death in the Tails of the GRW Wave Function",International Journal of Quantum Foundations 8 (2022), 148-157.
  7. D. Wallace, Isolated Systems and their Symmetries, Part I: General Framework and Particle-Mechanics Examples, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science 92 (2022), 239-248.
  8. D. Wallace, Isolated Systems and their Symmetries, Part II: Local and Global Symmetries of Field Theories, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science 92 (2022), 249-259.
  9. D. Wallace, "Fundamental and Emergent Geometry in Newtonian Physics", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 71 (2020), pp.1-32.
  10. D. Wallace, Lessons from Realistic Physics for the Metaphysics of Quantum Theory, Synthese 197 (2020), 4303-4818.
  11. D. Wallace, "Who's afraid of coordinate systems? An essay on the representation of spacetime structure", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 67 (2019), pp. 125-136.
  12. D. Wallace, Naturalness and Emergence, The Monist 102 (2019) pp. 499-524.
  13. D. Wallace, "The Case for Black Hole Thermodynamics, Part I - Phenomenological Thermodynamics", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 64 (2018) pp. 52-67.
  14. D. Wallace, "The Case for Black Hole Thermodynamics, Part II - Statistical Mechanics", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 66 (2018) pp. 103-118.
  15. D. Wallace, "More Problems for Newtonian Cosmology", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 57 (2017) pp.35-40.
  16. D. Wallace, "The Quantitative Content of Statistical Mechanics", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 52 (2015) pp.285--293.
  17. D. Wallace, "Recurrence Theorems: a Unified Account", Journal of Mathematical Physics 65 (2015) 022105.
  18. D. Wallace, "Thermodynamics as Control Theory", Entropy 16.2 (2014) pp. 699-725.
  19. H. Greaves and D. Wallace, "Empirical Consequences of Symmetries", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 65 (2014) pp.59-89.
  20. D. Wallace, "Decoherence and its Role in the Modern Measurement Problem", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London A 370 (2012) 4076-4093.
  21. D. Wallace, "Taking Particle Physics Seriously: a critique of the algebraic approach to quantum field theory", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 42 (2011) pp.116-125.
  22. D. Wallace and C. Timpson, "Quantum Mechanics on Spacetime I: Spacetime State Realism", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 61 (2010) pp. 697-727
  23. D. Wallace, "Gravity, Entropy and Cosmology: In Search of Clarity", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 61 (2010) pp. 513-540.
  24. D. Wallace, "QFT, Antimatter, and Symmetry", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 40 (2009) pp. 209-222.
  25. S. Saunders and D. Wallace, "Saunders and Wallace Reply" British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 59 (2008), pp. 315-317
  26. S. Saunders and D. Wallace,"Branching and Uncertainty" British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 59 (2008), pp. 293-305.
  27. D. Wallace and C. Timpson, "Non-locality and gauge freedom in Deutsch and Hayden's formulation of quantum mechanics" Foundations of Physics 37 (2007), pp. 951-955.
  28. D. Wallace, "Quantum Probability from Subjective Likelihood: improving on Deutsch's proof of the probability rule", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (2007), pp. 311--332.
  29. H. Greaves and D. Wallace, "Justifying conditionalisation: conditionalisation maximises expected epistemic utility" Mind 115 (2006) pp. 607-632.
  30. D. Wallace, "Epistemology Quantised: circumstances in which we should come to believe in the Everett interpretation", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 57 (2006), pp. 655-689.
  31. D. Wallace, "In defence of naivete: the conceptual status of Lagrangian QFT", Synthese 151 (2006) pp. 33-80.
  32. H.R. Brown and D. Wallace, "Solving the measurement problem: de Broglie-Bohm loses out to Everett", Foundations of Physics 35 (2005), pp. 517-540.
  33. D. Wallace, "Protecting cognitive science from quantum theory", Behavioral and Brain Sciences 27 (2004) pp. 636-7.
  34. D. Wallace, "Everettian Rationality: defending Deutsch's approach to probability in the Everett interpretation", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (2003), pp. 415-438.
  35. D. Wallace, "Everett and Structure", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (2003), pp. 86--105.
  36. D. Wallace, "Worlds in the Everett Interpretation", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 33 (2002), pp. 637--661.
  37. D. Wallace, "Simple computer model for the quantum Zeno effect", Physical Review A 63 (2001), 022019.

Publications - published work elsewhere

  1. D. Wallace, Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Physics, (OUP, 2024).
  2. D. Wallace, "The logic of the past hypothesis", in B. Loewer, E. Winsberg and B. Weslake (ed.), The Probability Map of the Universe: Essays on David Albert's Time and Chance (Harvard University Press, 2023).
  3. D. Wallace, Stating Structural Realism: mathematics-first approaches to physics and metaphysics, in J. Hawthorne (ed.), Philosophical Perspectives volume 36: Metaphysics (Wiley-Blackwell, 2022), 345-37.
  4. D. Wallace, Observability, redundancy and modality for dynamical symmetry transformations, in James Read, Bryan Roberts and Nic Teh (eds.), The Philosophy and Physics of Noether's Theorems: A Centenary Volume (CUP, 2022), 322-353.
  5. D. Wallace, The Quantum Theory of Fields, in E. Knox and A. Wilson (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Physics (Routledge, 2021), 275-295
  6. D. Wallace, Against Wavefunction Realism, in S. Dasgupta, R. Dotan, and B. Weslake (eds.), Current Controversies in the Philosophy of Science (Routledge, 2021)
  7. D. Wallace, The Necessity of Gibbsian Statistical Mechanics, in V. Allori (ed.), Statistical Mechanics and Scientific Explanation: Determinism, Indeterminism and Laws of Nature (World Scientific, 2020).
  8. D. Wallace, "Why Black Hole Information Loss is Paradoxical", in N. Huggett, K. Matsubara and C. Wuthrich (eds.), Beyond Spacetime: The Foundations of Quantum Gravity (CUP, 2020).
  9. D. Wallace, On the Plurality of Quantum Theories: Quantum theory as a framework, and its implications for the quantum measurement problem, in S. French and J. Saatsi (ed.), Scientific Realism and the Quantum (OUP, 2020).
  10. D. Wallace, "What is orthodox quantum mechanics?", in A.Cordero (ed.), Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics (Springer, 2019).
  11. D. Wallace, "The Relativity and Equivalence Principles for Self-Gravitating Systems", D. Lehmkuhml, G. Schiemann and E. Scholtz (eds.), Towards a Theory of Spacetime Theories (Springer, 2017).
  12. D. Wallace, "The Nature of the Past Hypothesis", in K. Chamcham, J. Silk and J. D. Barrow (eds.), The Philosophy of Cosmology (OUP, 2017).
  13. D. Wallace, "Inferential vs. Dynamical Conceptions of Physics", in O. Lombardi (ed.), What is quantum information?(CUP, 2017).
  14. D. Wallace, "Probability in Physics: Statistical, Stochastic, Quantum", in A. Wilson (ed.), Chance and Temporal Asymmetry (OUP, 2014).
  15. D. Wallace, The Arrow of Time in Physics, in A. Bardon and H. Dyke (eds.), A Companion to the Philosophy of Time (Wiley, 2013).
  16. D. Wallace, "The Everett Interpretation", in R. Batterman (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Physics (OUP, 2013).
  17. D. Wallace, "A prolegomenon to the ontology of the Everett interpretation", in A. Ney and D. Albert (ed.), The Wave Function: Essays in the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics (OUP, 2013).
  18. D. Wallace, "Interview", in M. Schlosshauer (ed.), Elegance and Enigma: The Quantum Interviews (Springer, 2011).
  19. D. Wallace,"Diachronic Rationality and Prediction-Based Games",Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 110 (2010) pp. 243-266.
  20. D. Wallace, "Decoherence and Ontology: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love FAPP", in S. Saunders, J. Barrett, A. Kent and D. Wallace (ed.), Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality (OUP, 2010).
  21. D. Wallace, "How to Prove the Born Rule", in S. Saunders, J. Barrett, A. Kent and D. Wallace (ed.), Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality (OUP, 2010).
  22. D. Wallace, "Quantum Mechanics", chapter 1 of D. Rickles (ed), The Ashgate Companion to the New Philosophy of Physics (Ashgate, 2008).
  23. D. Wallace, "Time-dependent symmetries: the link between gauge symmetries and indeterminism", in K. Brading and E. Castellani (ed.), Symmetries in physics: philosophical reflections (CUP, 2003).

Publications - papers forthcoming or in submission

  1. D. Wallace, What Gibbsian Statistical Mechanics Says: Defending Bare Probabilism, in submission.
  2. D. Wallace, Open Systems Other Than the Universe, to appear in M.E.Cuffaro and S.Hartmann (eds.), Open Systems: Physics, Metaphysics, and Methodology (OUP, forthcoming).
  3. D. Wallace, Real Patterns in Physics and Beyond, to appear in T. Millhouse, S. Petersen and D. Ross (eds.), currently-untitled collection on real patterns (MIT Press, forthcoming).
  4. D. Wallace, On relativistic thermodynamics, in submission.
  5. D. Wallace, Thermodynamics with and without irreversibility, to appear in O. Lombardi and C. Lopez (eds.), The Arrow of Time: From Local Systems to the Whole Universe (CUP, forthcoming).
  6. D. Wallace, The local quantum vacuum as the Past Hypothesis, in submission.
  7. E. Knox and D. Wallace, Functionalism fit for physics, in submission.
  8. D. Wallace, Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Finite Quantum Systems: a decoherent-histories approach (2019), in submission.
  9. D. Wallace, "Probability and Irreversibility in Modern Statistical Mechanics: Classical and Quantum" (2016), to appear in D. Bedingham, O. Maroney and C. Timpson (eds.), Quantum Foundations of Statistical Mechanics (OUP, forthcoming).
  10. D. Wallace, "Interpreting the Quantum Mechanics of Cosmology" (2016), to appear in forthcoming OUP volume on philosophy of cosmology, Anna Ijjas and Barry Loewer (ed.)
  11. D. Wallace, "Deflating the Aharonov-Bohm Effect" (2015), in submission.

Publications - online papers not currently published elsewhere

  1. D. Wallace, Learning to Represent: Mathematics-first accounts of representation and their relation to natural language, https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/23224 (2024).
  2. O. Pooley and D. Wallace, First-class constraints generate gauge transformations in electromagnetism (reply to Pitts), arxiv:2210.09063 (2022)
  3. D. Wallace, "On The Reality of the Global Phase", https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/20455/ (2022).
  4. D. Wallace, "Fields as Bodies: a Unified Presentation of Spacetime and Internal Gauge Symmetry", arxiv:1502.06539 (2015).
  5. D. Wallace, "Language Use in a Branching Universe", http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/2554/ (2005).
  6. D. Wallace, "Three Kinds of Branching Universe" unpublished (available only via this website) (2005).
  7. D. Wallace, Quantum Probability and Decision Theory, Revisited, arxiv:quant-ph/0211104 (2002).
  8. D. Wallace, "Emergence of particles from bosonic quantum field theory", arxiv:quant-ph/0112149 (2001).
  9. D. Wallace, "Implications of quantum theory in the foundations of statistical mechanics", http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/410 (2001).
  10. A. Kent and D. Wallace, "Quantum Interrogation and the Safer X-ray", arxiv:quant-ph/0102118 (2001).
  11. D. Wallace, "The quantization of gravity - an introduction", arxiv:gr-qc/0004005 (2000).

Publications - book reviews

  1. D. Wallace, Review of "A Guess at the Riddle", by David Albert, Mind, forthcoming.
  2. D. Wallace, Review of "The World in the Wave Function", by Alyssa Ney, Philosophical Review 131 (2022), 528-532.
  3. D. Wallace, Review of "The Quantum Revolution in Philosophy", by Richard Healey, Analysis 80 (2020), 381-388.
  4. D. Wallace, Review of "What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics", by Adam Becker, Physics Today 71 (2018) 51-52.
  5. D. Wallace, Review of "Interpreting Quantum Theories", by Laura Ruetsche, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 64 (2014), 425-428.

Teaching

Undergraduate classes taught: general philosophy of science, philosophy of spacetime, philosophy of quantum mechanics, philosophy of statistical mechanics.

Graduate seminars taught: probability and decision theory, philosophy of statistical mechanics, the Everett interpretation, philosophy of quantum mechanics, emergence and reduction, general philosophy of science, philosophy of quantum field theory, scientific realism.

Undergraduate tutorial teaching in Philosophy of Maths, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Physics, Formal Logic, Frege's Foundations of Arithmetic, the Leibniz/Clarke Correspondence, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Psychology.

Graduate students advised/examined: Neil Dewar (primary advisor), Alex Franklin (external examiner), Eleanor Knox (joint primary advisor), Samuel Kuypers (external examiner), Dennis Lehmkuhl (internal examiner), Josh Luczak (external committee member), Paul Mainwood (internal examiner), Niels Martens (secondary advisor), Tushar Menon (primary advisor), Thomas Moller-Nielsen (internal examiner), Sebastian Murgueitio Ramirez (external committee member), Carina Prunkl (internal examiner), Sebastien Rivat (external committee member), Joshua Rosaler (primary advisor), Nic Teh (external examiner), Douglas Wadle (committee member), Porter Williams (external committee member).

Editing, refereeing, and assessment

Editor-in-Chief: Philosophy of Physics

Section editor (philosophy of physics): Oxford Research Encylopedia of Physics.

Editorial Board: Mind, Philosophy of Science.

Philosophy journals: Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Mind, Philosophy of Science, European Journal for Philosophy of Science, Erkenntnis, Mind, Nous, Synthese, Theoria. (And probably others; I don't keep careful notes.)

Physics journals: Annals of Physics Foundations of Physics, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, International Journal for Theoretical Physics, Journal of Mathematical Physics.

Presses: Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Princeton University Press, Wiley-Blackwell.

Institutions: All Souls College Oxford, Magdalen College Oxford, Merton College Oxford, National Science Foundation, Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi), John Templeton Foundation.