A derivation of the classical Hilbert space model of quantum theory is given (including superselection rules) based (i) on various axioms on the behavior of events and (ii) an explicit formula for the superposition of two pure states in terms of transition probabilities.
For orthodox quantum systems, pure states correspond one-to-one to all one-dimensional subspaces and observables correspond one-to-one to all selfadjoint operators in the state space. A relaxation of this one-to-one correspondence will bring about superselection rules. A general formulation of superselection rules is technically complicated. 1 We shall adopt an intuitive approach here and limit our discussion to some special cases to see how superselection rules can be incorporated in a Hilbert space structure of quantum theory.
We deduce the Born rule from a purely statistical take on quantum theory within minimalistic math-setup. No use is required of quantum postulates. One exploits only rudimentary quantum mathematics—a linear, not Hilbert’, vector space—and empirical notion of the Statistical Length of a state. Its statistical nature comes from the lab micro-events (detector-clicks) being formalized into the C -coefficients of quantum superpositions. We also comment that not only has the use not been made of quantum axioms (scalar-product, operators, interpretations , etc.), but that the involving thereof would be, in a sense, inconsistent when deriving the rule. In point of fact, the quadratic character of the statistical length, and even not (the ‘physics’ of) Born’s formula, represents a first step in constructing the mathematical structure we name the Hilbert space of quantum states.
The usual formulation of quantum theory is based on rather obscure axioms (employing complex Hilbert spaces, Hermitean operators, and the trace rule for calculating probabilities). In this paper it is shown that quantum theory can be derived from five very reasonable axioms. The first four of these are obviously consistent with both quantum theory and classical probability theory. Axiom 5 (which requires that there exists continuous reversible transformations between pure states) rules out classical probability theory. If Axiom 5 (or even just the word "continuous" from Axiom 5) is dropped then we obtain classical probability theory instead. This work provides some insight into the reasons quantum theory is the way it is. For example, it explains the need for complex numbers and where the trace formula comes from. We also gain insight into the relationship between quantum theory and classical probability theory.
We compare the classical Kolmogorov and quantum probability models. We show that the gap between these model is not so huge as it was commonly believed. 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 Kolmogorov model. In particular, we obtain ``interference of probabilities'' without to appeal to the Hilbert space formalism. We interpret ``interference of probabilities'' as a perturbation (by a cos-term) of the conventional formula of total probability. Our classical derivation of quantum probabilistic formalism can stimulate applications of quantum methods outside of microworld : in psychology, biology, economy,...