Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1210.3270

All joint von Neumann measurements on a quantum state admit a quasi-classical probability model

Elena R. Loubenets

Published Oct 11, 2012• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We prove that the Hilbert space description of all joint von Neumann measurements on a quantum state can be reproduced in terms of a single measure space (Ω, F, μ) with a normalized real-valued measure μ, that is, in terms of a new general probability model, the quasi-classical probability model, developed in [Loubenets: J. Math. Phys. 53 (2012), 022201; J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 45 (2012), 185306]. In a quasi-classical probability model for all von Neumann measurements, a random variable models the corresponding quantum observable in all joint measurements and depends only on this quantum observable. This mathematical result sheds a new light on some important issues of quantum randomness discussed in the literature since the seminal article (1935) of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1210.3270

Related papers

Context-invariant quasi hidden variable (qHV) modelling of all joint von Neumann measurements for an arbitrary Hilbert space

Elena R. Loubenets

We prove the existence for each Hilbert space of the two new quasi hidden variable (qHV) models, statistically noncontextual and context-invariant, reproducing all the von Neumann joint probabilities via non-negative values of real-valued measures and all the quantum product expectations—via the qHV (classical-like) average of the product of the corresponding random variables. In a context-invariant model, a quantum observable X can be represented by a variety of random variables satisfying the functional condition required in quantum foundations but each of these random variables equivalently models X under all joint von Neumann measurements, regardless of their contexts. The proved existence of this model negates the general opinion that, in terms of random variables, the Hilbert space description of all the joint von Neumann measurements for dimH≥3 can be reproduced only contextually. The existence of a statistically noncontextual qHV model, in particular, implies that every N-partite quantum state admits a local quasi hidden variable model introduced in Loubenets [J. Math. Phys. 53, 022201 (2012)]. The new results of the present paper point also to the generality of the quasi-classical probability model proposed in Loubenets [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 45, 185306 (2012)].

arXiv:1402.4023•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Mar 1, 2015•8 citations

Nonsignaling as the consistency condition for local quasi-classical probability modeling of a general multipartite correlation scenario

Elena R. Loubenets

We specify for a general correlation scenario a particular type of local quasi hidden variable (LqHV) model (Loubenets 2012 J. Math. Phys. 53 022201)—a deterministic LqHV model, where all joint probability distributions of a correlation scenario are simulated via a single measure space with a normalized bounded real-valued measure not being necessarily positive and random variables, each depending only on a setting of the corresponding measurement at the corresponding site. We prove that an arbitrary multipartite correlation scenario admits a deterministic LqHV model if and only if all its joint probability distributions satisfy the consistency condition, constituting the general nonsignaling condition formulated in Loubenets (2008 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 41 445303). This mathematical result specifies a new probability model that has a measure-theoretic structure resembling the structure of the classical probability model but incorporates the latter only as a particular case. The local version of this quasi-classical probability model covers the probabilistic description of each nonsignaling correlation scenario, in particular, each correlation scenario on a multipartite quantum state.

arXiv:1109.0225•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Apr 23, 2012•10 citations

Rethinking Collapse: Coupling Quantum States to Classical Bits with quasi-probabilities

Dagomir Kaszlikowski, Pawel Kurzynski

We propose a formulation of quantum measurement within a modified framework of frames, in which a quantum system - a single qubit - is directly coupled to a classical measurement bit. The qubit is represented as a positive probability distribution over two classical bits, a and a', denoted by p(aa'). The measurement apparatus is described by a classical bit $α= \pm 1$, initialized in the pure distribution $p(α) = \frac{1}{2}(1 + α)$. The measurement interaction is modeled by a quasi-bistochastic process $ S(bb'β\mid aa'α)$ - a bistochastic map that may include negative transition probabilities, while acting on an entirely positive state space. When this process acts on the joint initial state $p(aa')p(α)$, it produces a collapsed state $p(bb'\midβ)$, yielding the measurement outcome $β$ with the correct quantum-mechanical probability $p(β)$. This approach bypasses the von Neumann chain of infinite couplings by treating the measurement register classically, while capturing the nonclassical nature of measurement through the quasi-bistochastic structure of the interaction.

quant-pharXiv:2512.03929•Dec 4, 2025•0 citations

Quasi-probabilities in conditioned quantum measurement and a geometric/statistical interpretation of Aharonov’s weak value

Jaeha Lee, Izumi Tsutsui

We show that the joint behavior of an arbitrary pair of (generally noncommuting) quantum observables can be described by quasi-probabilities, which are an extended version of the standard probabilities used for describing the outcome of measurement for a single observable. The physical situations that require these quasi-probabilities arise when one considers quantum measurement of an observable conditioned by some other variable, with the notable example being the weak measurement employed to obtain Aharonov’s weak value. Specifically, we present a general prescription for the construction of quasi-joint probability (QJP) distributions associated with a given combination of observables. These QJP distributions are introduced in two complementary approaches: one from a bottom-up, strictly operational construction realized by examining the mathematical framework of the conditioned measurement scheme, and the other from a top-down viewpoint realized by applying the results of the spectral theorem for normal operators and their Fourier transforms. It is then revealed that, for a pair of simultaneously measurable observables, the QJP distribution reduces to the unique standard joint probability distribution of the pair, whereas for a noncommuting pair there exists an inherent indefiniteness in the choice of such QJP distributions, admitting a multitude of candidates that may equally be used for describing the joint behavior of the pair. In the course of our argument, we find that the QJP distributions furnish the space of operators in the underlying Hilbert space with their characteristic geometric structures such that the orthogonal projections and inner products of observables can be given statistical interpretations as, respectively, “conditionings” and “correlations”. The weak value $A_{w}$ for an observable $A$ is then given a geometric/statistical interpretation as either the orthogonal projection of $A$ onto the subspace generated by another observable $B$, or equivalently, as the conditioning of $A$ given $B$ with respect to the QJP distribution under consideration.

arXiv:1607.06406•Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics•Feb 15, 2017•6 citations

Indiscernibility of quantum states

Jan van Neerven, Marijn Waaijer

This paper provides a systematic study of the operational idea that a quantum “state” is only defined up to what can be distinguished by a chosen family of observables. Concretely, any von Neumann algebra of observables M induces an equivalence relation on pure and mixed states by declaring two preparations indiscernible when they give identical statistics for every observable in M. The corresponding quotient, the Holevo space associated with M, is the effective (relational) state space of the experiment, explicitly dependent on the observer’s available measurements. We analyse the resulting geometry and topology of these quotients, and prove a context-complete classical representation theorem: for every von Neumann algebra M there is a canonical lift a↦â to bounded continuous functions on the Holevo space, reproducing expectation values pointwise. In the commutative case this reduces to ordinary probability theory on the joint spectrum. The framework is illustrated in explicit examples, including position measurements of a free particle and polarisation measurements in the qubit, Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR), and Bell settings. In particular, in the EPR scenario Charlie’s joint observable defines a simplex of joint outcome distributions, whereas the Alice/Bob marginal viewpoint collapses the effective description to a lower-dimensional space by “forgetting” the correlation parameter. We show that by varying the polariser settings, the indiscernibility classes become conjugated (and generically reshuffled), and different settings are typically incompatible at the level of observable algebras.

arXiv:2507.10027•Journal of Mathematical Physics•May 1, 2026•0 citations

On the applicability of Kolmogorov’s theory of probability to the description of quantum phenomena. Part I: foundations

Maik Reddiger

Abstract By formulating the axioms of quantum mechanics, von Neumann also laid the foundations of a “quantum probability theory”. As such, it is regarded a generalization of the “classical probability theory” due to Kolmogorov. Outside of quantum physics, however, Kolmogorov’s axioms enjoy universal applicability. This raises the question of whether quantum physics indeed requires such a generalization of our conception of probability or if von Neumann’s axiomatization of quantum mechanics was contingent on the absence of a general theory of probability in the 1920s. This work argues in favor of the latter position. In particular, it shows how to construct a mathematically rigorous theory for non-relativistic N -body quantum systems subject to a time-independent scalar potential, which is based on Kolmogorov’s axioms and physically natural random variables. Though this theory is provably distinct from its quantum-mechanical analog, it nonetheless reproduces central predictions of the latter. Further work may make an empirical comparison possible. Moreover, the approach can in principle be adapted to other classes of quantum-mechanical models. Part II of this series discusses the empirical violation of Bell inequalities in the context of this approach. Part III addresses the projection postulate and the question of measurement.

arXiv:2405.05710•Quantum Studies Mathematics and Foundations•Oct 23, 2025•2 citations
We prove that the Hilbert space description of all joint von Neumann measurements on a quantum state can be reproduced in terms of a single measure space (Ω, F, μ) with a normalized real-valued measure μ, that is, in terms of a new general probability model, the quasi-classical probability model, developed in [Loubenets: J. Math. Phys. 53 (2012), 022201; J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 45 (2012), 185306]. In a quasi-classical probability model for all von Neumann measurements, a random variable models the corresponding quantum observable in all joint measurements and depends only on this quantum observable. This mathematical result sheds a new light on some important issues of quantum randomness discussed in the literature since the seminal article (1935) of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen.
We prove the existence for each Hilbert space of the two new quasi hidden variable (qHV) models, statistically noncontextual and context-invariant, reproducing all the von Neumann joint probabilities via non-negative values of real-valued measures and all the quantum product expectations—via the qHV (classical-like) average of the product of the corresponding random variables. In a context-invariant model, a quantum observable X can be represented by a variety of random variables satisfying the functional condition required in quantum foundations but each of these random variables equivalently models X under all joint von Neumann measurements, regardless of their contexts. The proved existence of this model negates the general opinion that, in terms of random variables, the Hilbert space description of all the joint von Neumann measurements for dimH≥3 can be reproduced only contextually. The existence of a statistically noncontextual qHV model, in particular, implies that every N-partite quantum state admits a local quasi hidden variable model introduced in Loubenets [J. Math. Phys. 53, 022201 (2012)]. The new results of the present paper point also to the generality of the quasi-classical probability model proposed in Loubenets [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 45, 185306 (2012)].
We specify for a general correlation scenario a particular type of local quasi hidden variable (LqHV) model (Loubenets 2012 J. Math. Phys. 53 022201)—a deterministic LqHV model, where all joint probability distributions of a correlation scenario are simulated via a single measure space with a normalized bounded real-valued measure not being necessarily positive and random variables, each depending only on a setting of the corresponding measurement at the corresponding site. We prove that an arbitrary multipartite correlation scenario admits a deterministic LqHV model if and only if all its joint probability distributions satisfy the consistency condition, constituting the general nonsignaling condition formulated in Loubenets (2008 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 41 445303). This mathematical result specifies a new probability model that has a measure-theoretic structure resembling the structure of the classical probability model but incorporates the latter only as a particular case. The local version of this quasi-classical probability model covers the probabilistic description of each nonsignaling correlation scenario, in particular, each correlation scenario on a multipartite quantum state.
We propose a formulation of quantum measurement within a modified framework of frames, in which a quantum system - a single qubit - is directly coupled to a classical measurement bit. The qubit is represented as a positive probability distribution over two classical bits, a and a', denoted by p(aa'). The measurement apparatus is described by a classical bit α=±1α= \pm 1α=±1, initialized in the pure distribution p(α)=12(1+α)p(α) = \frac{1}{2}(1 + α)p(α)=21​(1+α). The measurement interaction is modeled by a quasi-bistochastic process $ S(bb'β\mid aa'α)$ - a bistochastic map that may include negative transition probabilities, while acting on an entirely positive state space. When this process acts on the joint initial state p(aa′)p(α)p(aa')p(α)p(aa′)p(α), it produces a collapsed state p(bb′∣β)p(bb'\midβ)p(bb′∣β), yielding the measurement outcome βββ with the correct quantum-mechanical probability p(β)p(β)p(β). This approach bypasses the von Neumann chain of infinite couplings by treating the measurement register classically, while capturing the nonclassical nature of measurement through the quasi-bistochastic structure of the interaction.
We show that the joint behavior of an arbitrary pair of (generally noncommuting) quantum observables can be described by quasi-probabilities, which are an extended version of the standard probabilities used for describing the outcome of measurement for a single observable. The physical situations that require these quasi-probabilities arise when one considers quantum measurement of an observable conditioned by some other variable, with the notable example being the weak measurement employed to obtain Aharonov’s weak value. Specifically, we present a general prescription for the construction of quasi-joint probability (QJP) distributions associated with a given combination of observables. These QJP distributions are introduced in two complementary approaches: one from a bottom-up, strictly operational construction realized by examining the mathematical framework of the conditioned measurement scheme, and the other from a top-down viewpoint realized by applying the results of the spectral theorem for normal operators and their Fourier transforms. It is then revealed that, for a pair of simultaneously measurable observables, the QJP distribution reduces to the unique standard joint probability distribution of the pair, whereas for a noncommuting pair there exists an inherent indefiniteness in the choice of such QJP distributions, admitting a multitude of candidates that may equally be used for describing the joint behavior of the pair. In the course of our argument, we find that the QJP distributions furnish the space of operators in the underlying Hilbert space with their characteristic geometric structures such that the orthogonal projections and inner products of observables can be given statistical interpretations as, respectively, “conditionings” and “correlations”. The weak value AwA_{w}Aw​ for an observable AAA is then given a geometric/statistical interpretation as either the orthogonal projection of AAA onto the subspace generated by another observable BBB, or equivalently, as the conditioning of AAA given BBB with respect to the QJP distribution under consideration.
This paper provides a systematic study of the operational idea that a quantum “state” is only defined up to what can be distinguished by a chosen family of observables. Concretely, any von Neumann algebra of observables M induces an equivalence relation on pure and mixed states by declaring two preparations indiscernible when they give identical statistics for every observable in M. The corresponding quotient, the Holevo space associated with M, is the effective (relational) state space of the experiment, explicitly dependent on the observer’s available measurements. We analyse the resulting geometry and topology of these quotients, and prove a context-complete classical representation theorem: for every von Neumann algebra M there is a canonical lift a↦â to bounded continuous functions on the Holevo space, reproducing expectation values pointwise. In the commutative case this reduces to ordinary probability theory on the joint spectrum. The framework is illustrated in explicit examples, including position measurements of a free particle and polarisation measurements in the qubit, Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR), and Bell settings. In particular, in the EPR scenario Charlie’s joint observable defines a simplex of joint outcome distributions, whereas the Alice/Bob marginal viewpoint collapses the effective description to a lower-dimensional space by “forgetting” the correlation parameter. We show that by varying the polariser settings, the indiscernibility classes become conjugated (and generically reshuffled), and different settings are typically incompatible at the level of observable algebras.
Abstract By formulating the axioms of quantum mechanics, von Neumann also laid the foundations of a “quantum probability theory”. As such, it is regarded a generalization of the “classical probability theory” due to Kolmogorov. Outside of quantum physics, however, Kolmogorov’s axioms enjoy universal applicability. This raises the question of whether quantum physics indeed requires such a generalization of our conception of probability or if von Neumann’s axiomatization of quantum mechanics was contingent on the absence of a general theory of probability in the 1920s. This work argues in favor of the latter position. In particular, it shows how to construct a mathematically rigorous theory for non-relativistic N -body quantum systems subject to a time-independent scalar potential, which is based on Kolmogorov’s axioms and physically natural random variables. Though this theory is provably distinct from its quantum-mechanical analog, it nonetheless reproduces central predictions of the latter. Further work may make an empirical comparison possible. Moreover, the approach can in principle be adapted to other classes of quantum-mechanical models. Part II of this series discusses the empirical violation of Bell inequalities in the context of this approach. Part III addresses the projection postulate and the question of measurement.