On the Classical Limit of Quantum Mechanics

Contrary to the widespread belief, the problem of the emergence of classical mechanics from quantum mechanics is still open. In spite of many results of the standard approach, it is not yet clear how to explain within standard quantum mechanics the classical motion of macroscopic bodies. In this paper, we shall formulate the classical limit as a scaling limit in terms of an adimensional parameter ε. We shall take the first steps toward a comprehensive understanding of the classical limit, analyzing special cases of classical behavior in the framework of a precise formulation of quantum mechanics called Bohmian mechanics which contains in its own structure the possibility of describing real objects in an observer-independent way.