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arXiv:2303.04847

Step-by-step derivation of the algebraic structure of quantum mechanics (or from nondisturbing to quantum correlations by connecting incompatible observables)

Alisson Tezzin

Published Mar 8, 2023• 2 citations
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Abstract

Recently there has been much interest in deriving the quantum formalism and the set of quantum correlations from simple axioms. In this paper, we provide a step-by-step derivation of the quantum formalism that tackles both these problems and helps us to understand why this formalism is as it is. We begin with a structureless system that only includes real-valued observables, states and a (not specified) state update, and we gradually identify theory-independent conditions that make the algebraic structure of quantum mechanics be assimilated by it. In the first part of the paper, we derive essentially all the "commutative part" of the quantum formalism, i.e., all definitions and theorems that do not involve algebraic operations between incompatible observables, such as projections, Specker's principle, and the spectral theorem; at the statistical level, the system is nondisturbing and satisfies the exclusivity principle at this stage. In the second part of the paper, we connect incompatible observables by taking transition probabilities between pure states into account. This connection is the final step needed to embed our system in a Hilbert space and to go from nondisturbing to quantum correlations.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2303.04847

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Recently there has been much interest in deriving the quantum formalism and the set of quantum correlations from simple axioms. In this paper, we provide a step-by-step derivation of the quantum formalism that tackles both these problems and helps us to understand why this formalism is as it is. We begin with a structureless system that only includes real-valued observables, states and a (not specified) state update, and we gradually identify theory-independent conditions that make the algebraic structure of quantum mechanics be assimilated by it. In the first part of the paper, we derive essentially all the "commutative part" of the quantum formalism, i.e., all definitions and theorems that do not involve algebraic operations between incompatible observables, such as projections, Specker's principle, and the spectral theorem; at the statistical level, the system is nondisturbing and satisfies the exclusivity principle at this stage. In the second part of the paper, we connect incompatible observables by taking transition probabilities between pure states into account. This connection is the final step needed to embed our system in a Hilbert space and to go from nondisturbing to quantum correlations.
Another axiom has to be introduced to make the formalism given in Part I physically equivalent to the conventional Hilbert-space formalism. Then it is shown that, given a certain fundamental set of observables, a B*-algebra A can be built into which the set 𝒪b of all bounded observables can be mapped injectively. The closure of the algebra generated by the image of 𝒪b into A is A itself. A Hilbert space ℋ exists into which the set 𝒪0 of all pure physical states can be mapped injectively. The closure of the subset of ℋ which is the image of this mapping is ℋ itself. The algebra A can be mapped in such a fashion into the C*-algebra B(ℋ) of all bounded observables that these mappings provide, essentially, just a translation of the original formalism in a Hilbert-space formalism.
I discuss a set of strong, but probabilistically intelligible, axioms from which one can {\em almost} derive the appratus of finite dimensional quantum theory. Stated informally, these require that systems appear completely classical as restricted to a single measurement, that different measurements, and likewise different pure states, be equivalent (up to the action of a compact group of symmetries), and that every state be the marginal of a bipartite non-signaling state perfectly correlating two measurements. This much yields a mathematical representation of measurements and states that is already very suggestive of quantum mechanics. In particular, in any theory satisfying these axioms, measurements can be represented by orthonormal subsets of, and states, by vectors in, an ordered real Hilbert space -- in the quantum case, the space of Hermitian operators, with its usual tracial inner product. One final postulate (a simple minimization principle, still in need of a clear interpretation) forces the positive cone of this space to be homogeneous and self-dual and hence, to be the the state space of a formally real Jordan algebra. From here, the route to the standard framework of finite-dimensional quantum mechanics is quite short.
In the present paper I show how it is possible to derive the Hilbert space formulation of Quantum Mechanics from a comprehensive definition of "physical experiment" and assuming "experimental accessibility and simplicity" as specified by five simple Postulates. This accomplishes the program presented in form of conjectures in the previous paper quant-ph/0506034. Pivotal roles are played by the "local observability principle", which reconciles the holism of nonlocality with the reductionism of local observation, and by the postulated existence of "informationally complete observables" and of a "symmetric faithful state". This last notion allows one to introduce an operational definition for the real version of the "adjoint"--i. e. the transposition--from which one can derive a real Hilbert-space structure via either the Mackey-Kakutani or the Gelfand-Naimark-Segal constructions. Here I analyze in detail only the Gelfand-Naimark-Segal construction, which leads to a real Hilbert space structure analogous to that of (classes of generally unbounded) selfadjoint operators in Quantum Mechanics. For finite dimensions, general dimensionality theorems that can be derived from a local observability principle, allow us to represent the elements of the real Hilbert space as operators over an underlying complex Hilbert space (see, however, a still open problem at the end of the paper). The route for the present operational axiomatization was suggested by novel ideas originated from Quantum Tomography.
The algebraic approach to physical theories provides a general framework encompassing both classical and quantum mechanics. Accordingly, by looking at the behaviour of the relevant algebras of observables one can investigate structural and conceptual differences between the theories. Interesting foundational questions can be formulated algebraically and their answers are then given in a mathematically compelling way. My dissertation focuses on some philosophical issues concerning entanglement and quantum information as they arise in the algebraic. These two concepts are connected in that one can exploit the non-local character of quantum theory to construct protocols of information theory which are not realized in the classical world. I first introduce the basic concepts of the algebraic formalism, by reviewing von Neumann's work on the mathematical foundations of quantum theories. After presenting the reasons why von Neumann abandoned the standard Hilbert space formulation in favour of the algebraic approach, I show how his axiomatic program remained a mathematical "utopia" in mathematical physics. The Bayesian interpretation of quantum mechanics is grounded in information-theoretical considerations. I take on some specific problems concerning the extension of Bayesian statistical inference in infinite dimensional Hilbert space. I demonstrate that the failure of a stability condition, formulated as a rationality constraint for classical Bayesian conditional probabilities, does not undermine the Bayesian interpretation of quantum probabilities. I then provide a solution to the problem of Bayesian noncommutative statistical inference in general probability spaces. Furthermore, I propose a derivation of the a priori probability state in quantum mechanics from symmetry considerations. Finally, Algebraic Quantum Field Theory offers a rigorous axiomatization of quantum field theory, namely the synthesis of quantum mechanics and special relativity. In such a framework one can raise the question of whether or not quantum correlations are made stronger by adding relativistic constraints. I argue that entanglement is more robust in the relativistic context than in ordinary quantum theory. In particular, I show how to generalize the claim that entanglement across space-like separated regions of Minkowski spacetime would persist, no matter how one acts locally.
The notion of context (complex of physical conditions) is basic in this paper. We show that the main structures of quantum theory (interference of probabilities, Born’s rule, complex probabilistic amplitudes, Hilbert state space, representation of observables by operators) are present in a latent form in the classical Kolmogorov probability model. However, this model should be considered as a calculus of contextual probabilities. In our approach it is forbidden to consider abstract context independent probabilities: “first context and then probability.” We start with the conventional formula of total probability for contextual (conditional) probabilities and then we rewrite it by eliminating combinations of incompatible contexts from consideration. In this way we obtain interference of probabilities without to appeal to the Hilbert space formalism or wave mechanics. However, we did not just reconstruct the probabilistic formalism of conventional quantum mechanics. Our contextual probabilistic model is essentially more general and, besides the projection to the complex Hilbert space, it has other projections. The most important new prediction is the possibility (at least theoretical) of appearance of hyperbolic interference. A projection of the classical contextual probabilistic model to the hyperbolic Hilbert space (a module over the commutative two dimensional Clifford algebra) has some similarities with the projection to the complex Hilbert space. However, in the hyperbolic quantum mechanics the principle of superposition is violated. Our realistic (but contextual!) approach to quantum mechanics does not contradict to various “no‐go theorems”, e.g., von Neumann, Bell, Kochen‐Specker. We emphasize that our projection of the classical probabilistic model to the complex Hilbert space is based on two incompatible observables (“reference observables”), e.g., the position and the momentum, or the position and the energy. Only these two observables can be considered as objective properties of quantum systems.