Physics

On the Alleged Locality in the Schrödinger Picture. Comment on Vedral, V. Locality in the Schrödinger Picture of Quantum Mechanics. Physics 2024, 6, 793–800

Charles Alexandre Bédard

Published Apr 9, 2025• 0 citations

Abstract

In his recent paper, Vlatko Vedral claims that the Schrödinger picture can describe quantum systems as locally as the Heisenberg picture, relying on a product notation for the density matrix. Here, I refute that claim. I show that the so-called ‘local factors’ in the product notation do not correspond to individual systems and therefore fail to satisfy Einsteinian locality. Furthermore, the product notation does not track where local gates are applied. Finally, I expose internal inconsistencies in the argument: if, as is also stated, the Schrödinger-picture locality ultimately depends on the explicit bookkeeping of all operations, then the explanatory power of the product notation is de facto undermined.

DOI: 10.3390/physics7020011

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