A Set-Based Alternative to the Hilbert-Space Formalism: Two-Slit Interference in the CEGS Framework
Norman de Leeuw
A Set-Based Alternative to the Hilbert-Space Formalism: Two-Slit Interference in the CEGS Framework This work presents a deterministic reformulation of the two-slit experiment within the Calculus of Element Generated Sets (CEGS), a set-based framework for modeling physical systems without assuming Hilbert space as a fundamental structure. Instead of representing quantum states as vectors in a complex Hilbert space, physical states are described as structured sets of phase-generating elements subject to intrinsic constraint operations prior to aggregation. Within this framework, observable quantities arise only after a coherent aggregation map acts on constrained generative sets. The standard interference pattern of the two-slit experiment is recovered exactly at the level of observable predictions, preserving empirical equivalence with conventional quantum mechanics. A central conceptual shift is that complex amplitudes are not treated as fundamental entities. Instead, they emerge as effective compressed representations of underlying distributed phase structures under observer-dependent projection. In this view, Hilbert space is interpreted as an emergent effective description rather than a primary ontological structure. The formulation provides a deterministic and structural alternative perspective on quantum interference, contributing to ongoing discussions in quantum foundations, interpretation of quantum mechanics, and set-based or non-vectorial reformulations of physical theory. The analysis is restricted to the two-slit experiment as a minimal test case, while maintaining consistency with standard quantum predictions.
•Apr 23, 2026•1 citation