The notion of phase plays an esential role in both classical and quantum mechanics.But what is a phase? We show that if we define the notion of phase in phase (!) space one can very easily and naturally recover the Heisenberg-Weyl formalism; this is achieved using the properties of the Poincare-Cartan invariant, and without making any quantum assumption.
In this paper, we define four different notions of controllability of physical interest for multilevel quantum mechanical systems. These notions involve the possibility of driving the evolution operator as well as the state of the system. We establish the connections among these different notions as well as methods to verify controllability. The paper also contains results on the relation between the controllability in arbitrary small time of a system varying on a compact transformation Lie group and the corresponding system on the associated homogeneous space. As an application, we prove that…
The notion coexistence of quantum observables was introduced to describe the possibility of measuring two or more observables together. Here we survey the various different formalisations of this notion and their connections. We review examples illustrating the necessary degrees of unsharpness for two noncommuting observables to be jointly measurable (in one sense of the phrase). We demonstrate the possibility of measuring together (in another sense of the phrase) noncoexistent observables. This leads us to a reconsideration of the connection between joint measurability and noncommutativity of…
In this article we propose a solution to the measurement problem in quantum mechanics. We point out that the measurement problem can be traced to an a priori notion of classicality in the formulation of quantum mechanics. If this notion of classicality is dropped and instead classicality is defined in purely quantum mechanical terms the measurement problem can be avoided. We give such a definition of classicality. It identifies classicality as a property of large quantum system. We show how the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics is a result of this notion of classicality. We also commen…
In this paper we present a solution of the Einstein's boxes paradox by modern Quantum Mechanics in which a notion of density matrix is equivalent to a notion of a quantum state of a system. We use a secondary quantization formalism in the attempt to make a description particularly clear. The aim of this paper is to provide pedagogical help to the students of quantum mechanics.
On classical phase spaces admitting just one complex-differentiable structure, there is no indeterminacy in the choice of the creation operators that create quanta out of a given vacuum. In these cases the notion of a quantum is universal, i.e., independent of the observer on classical phase space. Such is the case in all standard applications of quantum mechanics. However, recent developments suggest that the notion of a quantum may not be universal. Transformations between observers that do not agree on the notion of an elementary quantum are called dualities. Classical phase spaces admittin…
A recent paper [P. Martin-Dussaud, C. Rovelli, F. Zalamea, arXiv:1806.08150] has given a lucid treatment of Bell's notion of local causality within the framework of the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics. However, the authors went on to conclude that the quantum violation of Bell's notion of local causality is no more surprising than a common cause. Here, I argue that this conclusion is unwarranted by the authors' own analysis. On the contrary, within the framework outlined by the authors, I argue that the implications of the relational interpretation are much more radical.
I consider in this book a formulation of Quantum Mechanics. Usually QM is formulated based on the notion of time and space, both of which are thought a priori given quantities or notions. However, when we try to define the notion of velocity or momentum, we encounter a difficulty as we will see in chapter 1. The problem is that if the notion of time is given a priori, the velocity is definitely determined when given a position, which contradicts the uncertainty principle of Heisenberg. We then set the basis of QM on the notion of position and momentum operators as in chapter 2. Time of a local…
A new quantum mechanical notion -- Conditional Density Matrix -- is discussed and is applied to describe some physical processes. This notion is a natural generalization of von Neumann density matrix for such processes as divisions of quantum systems into subsystems and reunifications of subsystems into new joint systems. Conditional Density Matrix assigns a quantum state to a subsystem of a composite system under condition that another part of the composite system is in some pure state.
Recently, Brukner and Zeilinger (2001) have claimed that the Shannon information is not well defined as a measure of information in quantum mechanics, adducing arguments that seek to show that it is inextricably tied to classical notions of measurement. It is shown here that these arguments do not succeed: the Shannon information does not have problematic ties to classical concepts. In a further argument, Brukner and Zeilinger compare the Shannon information unfavourably to their preferred measure, I(p), with regard to the definition of a notion of `total information content'. This argument is…
Wigner had expressed the opinion that the impossibility of exact measurements of single operators like position operators rendered the notion of geometrical points somewhat dubious in physics. Using Sewell's recent resolution of the measurement problem (collapse of the wave packet) in quantum mechanics and extending it to the measurement of operators with continuous spectra, we are able to compare the situation in quantum mechanics with that in quantum mechanics. Our conclusion is that the notion of a geometrical point is as meaningful in quantum mechanics as it is in classical mechanics.
It is usually stated that quantum mechanics presents problems with the identity of particles, the most radical position -supported by E. Schrodinger- asserting that elementary particles are not individuals. But the subject goes deeper, and it is even possible to obtain states with an undefined particle number. In this work we present a set theoretical framework for the description of undefined particle number states in quantum mechanics which provides a precise logical meaning for this notion. This construction goes in the line of solving a problem posed by Y. Manin, namely, to incorporate qu…
The major conceptual difficulties of quantum mechanics are analyzed. They are: the notion "wave-particle", the probabilistic interpretation of the Schroedinger wave ψ-function and hence the probability amplitude and its phase, long-range action, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, etc. The probabilistic formalism is developed in the phase space, but not in the real one. Elimination of the difficulties is likely if we are able to develop quantum mechanics in the real space. Such a theory in fact can be constructed, however, it should proceed from deepest first principles starting from the notio…
The notion of state vector is, in quantum mechanics, as central as it is problematic, as illustrates the wealth of publications about the sub- jects, including in particular the many attempts to obtain an acceptable interpretation of quantum mechanics. In this article, we propose a different approach, and initiate the study of a formulation of quantum mechanics, where the notion of state is entirely replaced by assertions about measurement outcomes. We define a notion of "verification" which represents the knowledge that one may have about the possible outcomes of the measurements performed on…
The term 'locality' is used in different contexts with different meanings. There have been claims that relational quantum mechanics is local, but it is not clear then how it accounts for the effects that go under the usual name of quantum non-locality. The present article shows that the failure of 'locality' in the sense of Bell, once interpreted in the relational framework, reduces to the existence of a common cause in an indeterministic context. In particular, there is no need to appeal to a mysterious space-like influence to understand it.
The term proposition usually denotes in quantum mechanics (QM) an element of (standard) quantum logic (QL). Within the orthodox interpretation of QM the propositions of QL cannot be associated with sentences of a language stating properties of individual samples of a physical system, since properties are nonobjective in QM. This makes the interpretation of propositions problematical. The difficulty can be removed by adopting the objective interpretation of QM proposed by one of the authors (semantic realism, or SR, interpretation). In this case, a unified perspective can be adopted for QM and …
Time-symmetric interpretations of quantum theory are often presented as featuring "retrocausal" effects in addition to the usual forward notion of causation. This paper examines the ontological implications of certain timesymmetric theories, and finds that no dynamical notion of causation applies to them, either forward or backward. It is concluded that such theories actually describe a static picture, in which the notion of causation is relegated to a descriptor of static relationships among events. In addition, these theories lead to an epistemic rather than ontologically referring, realist …
The notion of "closed systems" in Quantum Mechanics is discussed. For this purpose, we study two models of a quantum-mechanical system $P$ spatially far separated from the "rest of the universe" $Q$. Under reasonable assumptions on the interaction between $P$ and $Q$, we show that the system $P$ behaves as a closed system if the initial state of $P \vee Q$ belongs to a large class of states, including ones exhibiting entanglement between $P$ and $Q$. We use our results to illustrate the non-deterministic nature of quantum mechanics. Studying a specific example, we show that assigning an initia…
A formulation of the consistent histories approach to quantum mechanics in terms of generalized observables (POV measures) and effect operators is provided. The usual notion of `history' is generalized to the notion of `effect history'. The space of effect histories carries the structure of a D-poset. Recent results of J.D. Maitland Wright imply that every decoherence functional defined for ordinary histories can be uniquely extended to a bi-additive decoherence functional on the space of effect histories. Omnes' logical interpretation is generalized to the present context. The result of this …
Scholars have wondered for a long time whether the language of quantum mechanics introduces a quantum notion of truth which is formalized by quantum logic (QL) and is incompatible with the classical (Tarskian) notion. We show that QL can be interpreted as a pragmatic language of assertive formulas which formalize statements about physical systems that are empirically justified or unjustified in the framework of quantum mechanics. According to this interpretation, QL formalizes properties of the metalinguistic notion of empirical justification within quantum mechanics rather than properties of …
In this paper we compare two different notions of 'power', both of which attempt to provide a realist understanding of quantum mechanics grounded on the potential mode of existence. For this propose we will begin by introducing two different notions of potentiality present already within Aristotelian metaphysics, namely, irrational potentiality and rational potentiality. After discussing the role played by potentiality within classical and quantum mechanics, we will address the notion of causal power which is directly related to irrational potentiality and has been adopted by many interpretati…
I suggest that the common unease with taking quantum mechanics as a fundamental description of nature (the "measurement problem") could derive from the use of an incorrect notion, as the unease with the Lorentz transformations before Einstein derived from the notion of observer-independent time. I suggest that this incorrect notion is the notion of observer-independent state of a system (or observer-independent values of physical quantities). I reformulate the problem of the "interpretation of quantum mechanics" as the problem of deriving the formalism from a few simple physical postulates. I …
What belongs to quantum theory is no more than what is needed for its derivation. We argue for an approach focusing on reconstruction rather than interpretation of quantum mechanics and analyze several examples of reconstruction. We submit that reconstruction advances our understanding of quantum theory irrespective of one's ontological stance.
We review a possible framework for (non)linear quantum theories, into which linear quantum mechanics fits as well, and discuss the notion of ``equivalence'' in this setting. Finally, we draw the attention to persisting severe problems of nonlinear quantum theories.
This thesis is a contribution to the debate on the implications of quantum information theory for the foundations of quantum mechanics. In Part 1, the logical and conceptual status of various notions of information is assessed. It is emphasized that the everyday notion of information is to be firmly distinguished from the technical notions arising in information theory; however it is maintained that in both settings `information' functions as an abstract noun, hence does not refer to a particular or substance (the worth of this point is illustrated in application to quantum teleportation). The…
In this paper we introduce the three main notions of probability used by physicists and discuss how these are to be used when invoking spacelike separated observers in a relativistic format. We discuss a standard EPRB experiment and concentrate upon problems of the interpretation of probabilities. We promote a particularly conservative interpretation of this experiment (which need not invoke an objective notion of collapse) where probabilities are, tentatively, passively Lorentz invariant. We also argue that the Heisenberg picture is preferable in relativistic situations due to a conflict betw…
What has so far prevented us from decrypting quantum mechanics is the Cookie Cutter Paradigm, according to which the world's synchronic multiplicity derives from surfaces that carve up space in the manner of three-dimensional cookie cutters. This insidious notion is shown to be rooted in our neurophysiological make-up. An effort is made to liberate the physical world from this innate fallacy.
In this paper we attempt to provide a physical representation of quantum superpositions. For this purpose we discuss the constraints of the quantum formalism to the notion of possibility and the necessity to consider a potential realm independent of actuality. Taking these insights into account and from the basic principles of quantum mechanics itself we advance towards the definition of the notions of power and potentia. Assuming these notions as a standpoint we analyze the meaning of 'observation' and 'interaction'. As a conclusion we provide a set of axioms which comprise our interpretation…
By rigorously formalizing the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) argument, and Bohr's reply, one can appreciate that both arguments were technically correct. Their opposed conclusions about the completeness of quantum mechanics hinged upon an explicit difference in their criteria for when a measurement on Alice's system can be regarded as not disturbing Bob's system. The EPR criteria allow their conclusion (incompletness) to be reached by establishing the physical reality of just a single observable $q$ (not a conjugate pair $q$ and $p$), but I show that Bohr's definition of disturbance prevents th…
Inspired by Quantum Mechanics, we reformulate Hilbert's tenth problem in the domain of integer arithmetics into either a problem involving a set of infinitely coupled differential equations or a problem involving a Shrödinger propagator with some appropriate kernel. Either way, Mathematics and Physics could be combined for Hilbert's tenth problem and for the notion of effective computability.
The issue of ontology in quantum mechanics, or equivalently the issue of the reality of the wave function is critically examined within standard quantum theory. It is argued that though no strict ontology is possible within quantum theory, ingenious measurement schemes may still make the notion of a \emph{FAPP Ontology} i.e ontology for all practical purposes (a phrase coined by John Bell), meaningful and useful.
I show how quantum mechanics, like the theory of relativity, can be understood as a 'principle theory' in Einstein's sense, and I use this notion to explore the approach to the problem of interpretation developed in my book Interpreting the Quantum World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999).
In this article a notion of information is presented which stresses the contextuality of quantum objects and their measurement. Mathematically this is reached by a quantification of the quantum mechanical surplus knowledge which has been introduced by Weizsacker. This new formulation gives insight into relation between single quantum objects and ensembles of quantum objects. The goal is to provide an explanatory concept for teaching purposes, the description of quantum processes and measurement with aid of information.
We implement Feynman's suggestion that the only missing notion needed for the puzzle of Quantum Measurement is the statistical mechanics of amplifying apparatus. We define a thermodynamic limit of quantum amplifiers which is a classically describable system in the sense of Bohr, and define macroscopic pointer variables for the limit system. Then we derive the probabilities of Quantum Measurement from the deterministic Schroedinger equation by the usual techniques of Classical Statistical Mechanics.
It is shown that in the Rovelli relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, in which the notion of absolute or observer independent state is rejected, the conclusion of the ordinary EPR argument turns out to be frame-dependent, provided the conditions of the original argument are suitably adapted to the new interpretation. The consequences of this result for the `peaceful coexistence' of quantum mechanics and special relativity are briefly discussed.
The authors of the recent paper [1] boldly claim to discover a new fully quantum approach to foundation of statistical mechanics: "Our conceptually novel approach is free of mathematically ambiguous notions such as probability, ensemble, randomness, etc." The aim of this note is to show that this approach is neither specific for quantum systems nor really conceptually different from the standard textbook arguments supporting microcanonical or canonical ensembles in statistical mechanics.
The Einstein, Podolski and Rosen (EPR) argument aiming to prove the incompleteness of quantum mechanics (QM) was opposed by most EPR's contemporary physicists and is not accepted within the standard interpretation of QM, which maintains that QM is a complete theory. An analysis of the semantic implications of the opponent positions shows that they imply different notions of truth. The introduction of a nonclassical notion of truth within the standard interpretation is usually justified by referring to known theorems that should prove that QM is a contextual and nonlocal theory. However, these …
We consider the problem of setting up the Wigner distribution for states of a quantum system whose configuration space is a Lie group. The basic properties of Wigner distributions in the familiar Cartesian case are systematically generalised to accommodate new features which arise when the configuration space changes from $n$-dimensional Euclidean space ${\cal R}^n$ to a Lie group $G$. The notion of canonical momentum is carefully analysed, and the meanings of marginal probability distributions and their recovery from the Wigner distribution are clarified. For the case of compact $G$ an explic…
The groupoids description of Schwinger's picture of quantum mechanics is continued by discussing the closely related notions of composition of systems, subsystems, and their independence. Physical subsystems have a neat algebraic description as subgroupoids of the Schwinger's groupoid of the system. The groupoids picture offers two natural notions of composition of systems: Direct and free products of groupoids, that will be analyzed in depth as well as their universal character. Finally, the notion of independence of subsystems will be reviewed, finding that the usual notion of independence, …
This paper outlines a mathematical framework of quantum probability in which the time asymmetry in describing measuring processes is avoided. The main objects of the framework are hyperfinite operations, which are constructed by using nonstandard analysis and the operational approach by Davies and Lewis. Then the notions of Bayesian conditional probability are defined, and Bayes-type theorems in terms of the probability are showed.
A C*-algebra formulation of Quantum Mechanics is derived from purely operational axioms in which the primary role is played by the "transformations" that the system undergoes in the course of an "experiment". The notion of the {\em adjoint} of a transformation is based on the postulated existence of "faithful states" that allows one to calibrate the experimental apparatus.
The measurement problem and the role of observers have plagued quantum mechanics since its conception. Attempts to resolve these have introduced anthropomorphic or non-realist notions into physics. A shift of perspective based upon process theory and utilizing methods from combinatorial games, interpolation theory and complex systems theory results in a novel realist version of quantum mechanics incorporating quasi-local, nondeterministic hidden variables that are compatible with the no-hidden variable theorems and relativistic invariance, and reproduce the standard results of quantum mechanic…
The developments of special relativity and quantum mechanics marked the beginning of the modern physics age. The former has taught us that while space and time are frame dependent notions, there is a quantity -- the space-time interval -- whose value all inertial observers agree upon. This reveals, so to speak, a genuine "fact" of the universe, a relativistic invariant. On the other hand, since the dawn of quantum mechanics, there is no consensus on what the theory is all about. The situation is admittedly subtler: quantum theory is grounded on a complex vector space and the very notions of ob…
The geometry of the classical phase space C of a finite number of degrees of freedom determines the possible duality symmetries of the corresponding quantum mechanics. Under duality we understand the relativity of the notion of a quantum with respect to an observer on C. We illustrate this property explicitly in the case when classical phase space is complex n-dimensional projective space. We also provide some examples of classical dynamics that exhibit these properties at the quantum level.
We combine the ideas of Dirac's orthonormal representation, Everett's relative state, and 't Hooft's ontological basis to define the notion of a world for quantum mechanics. Mathematically, for a quantum system $\mathcal{Q}$ with an associated Hilbert space $\mathbb{H},$ a world of $\mathcal{Q}$ is defined to be an orthonormal basis of $\mathbb{H}.$ The evolution of the system is governed by Schrödinger's equation for the worlds of it. An observable in a certain world is a self-adjoint operator diagonal under the corresponding basis. Moreover, a state is defined in an associated world but can …
Using classical statistics, Schrodinger equation in quantum mechanics is derived from complex space model. Phase-space probability amplitude, that can be defined on classical point of view, has connections to probability amplitude in internal space and to wave function in quantum mechanics. In addition, the physical entity of wave function in quantum mechanics is confirmed once again.
Quantum mechanical foundations of the polarized neutron phase shift experiment are discussed. The fact that the neutron retains its ground state throughout the experiment is shown to be crucial for the phase shift obtained.
We examine the visualization of quantum mechanics in phase space by means of the Wigner function and the Wigner function flow as a complementary approach to illustrating quantum mechanics in configuration space by wave functions. The Wigner function formalism resembles the mathematical language of classical mechanics of non-interacting particles. Thus, it allows a more direct comparison between classical and quantum dynamical features.
We formulate and argue in favor of the following conjecture: There exists an intimate connection between Wigner's quantum mechanical phase space distribution function and classical Fresnel optics.
The notion of probability plays a crucial role in quantum mechanics. It appears in quantum mechanics as the Born rule. In modern mathematics which describes quantum mechanics, however, probability theory means nothing other than measure theory, and therefore any operational characterization of the notion of probability is still missing in quantum mechanics. In this paper, based on the toolkit of algorithmic randomness, we present a refinement of the Born rule, as an alternative rule to it, for specifying the property of the results of quantum measurements in an operational way. Algorithmic ran…
The basics of the Wigner formulation of Quantum-Mechanics and few related interpretational issues are presented in a simple language. This formulation has extensive applications in Quantum Optics and in Mixed Quantum-Classical formulations.
I argue that quantum mechanics is fundamentally a theory about the representation and manipulation of information, not a theory about the mechanics of nonclassical waves or particles. The notion of quantum information is to be understood as a new physical primitive -- just as, following Einstein's special theory of relativity, a field is no longer regarded as the physical manifestation of vibrations in a mechanical medium, but recognized as a new physical primitive in its own right.
It is argued that the nature of probability is essentially informational rather than physical and that quantum mechanical predictions should be viewed as logical inferences made on the basis of the information content of a given experimental situation. By implementing such a viewpoint, it is possible to maintain a sharp distinction between the physical and statistical aspects of quantum mechanics. The idea is applied to the double-beam interference experiment, reproducing the results of the standard formulation of quantum mechanics in a manner that renders the notion of wave-particle duality s…
Arno Bohm and Ilya Prigogine's Brussels-Austin Group have been working on the quantum mechanical arrow of time and irreversibility in rigged Hilbert space quantum mechanics. A crucial notion in Bohm's approach is the so-called preparation/registration arrow. An analysis of this arrow and its role in Bohm's theory of scattering is given. Similarly, the Brussels-Austin Group uses an excitation/de-excitation arrow for ordering events, which is also analyzed. The relationship between the two approaches is initially discussed focusing on their semi-group operators and time arrows. Finally a possibl…