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arXiv:1002.1390 · Physical Review A

Impossibility of covariant deterministic nonlocal hidden-variable extensions of quantum theory

Nicolas Gisin

Published Feb 28, 2011• 58 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Local variables cannot describe the quantum correlations observed in tests of Bell inequalities. Likewise, we show that deterministic nonlocal variables cannot describe quantum correlations in a relativistic time-order-invariant way.
DOI
10.1103/physreva.83.020102

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A factual inconsistency of the nonlocality theory is demonstrated via a careful analysis of the conceptual and formal contents of Bell's theorem and the inequalities associated with it. The conceptual inconsistency of the theory follows from the consideration that it is, in principle, impossible to formulate quantum mechanics in terms of local hidden variables. The formal inconsistency of the nonlocality theory follows from the facts that: (i) nonlocality is not a physical property that can be represented by a function or an operator; (ii) it is impossible to derive Bell's inequality in a mathematically consistent way; and (iii) Bell's definition of locality is incorrect. Therefore, Bell's theorem cannot serve as the foundation for the introduction of the nonlocality notion in quantum mechanics.
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