Many-Valued Logics in Quantum Mechanics

Gaetano Licata

Jarosław Pykacz

Hans Reichenbach

Jarosław Pykacz

A many–valued logic from an old neglected Lukasiewicz paper is adopted to describe results of physical (esp. quantum) experiments. Truth–values of propositions are interpreted as probabilities of their experimental confirmation. It is shown that the Lindenbaum algebra of the obtained logic is an orthomodular partially ordered set, i.e. a “quantum logic” in the Birkhoff–von Neumann sense. Short outline of the historical development of applications of many–valued logics in foudations of quantum mechanics is given.

Anthony Sudbery

According to quantum mechanics, statements about the future made by sentient beings like us are, in general, neither true nor false; they must satisfy a many-valued logic. I propose that the truth value of such a statement should be identified with the probability that the event it describes will occur. After reviewing the history of related ideas in logic, I argue that it gives an understanding of probability which is particularly satisfactory for use in quantum mechanics. I construct a lattice of future-tense propositions, with truth values in the interval [0, 1], and derive logical properties of these truth values given by the usual quantum-mechanical formula for the probability of a history.

Martin Strauss