Quantum probability theory

Philip Goyal, Kevin H. Knuth

Quantum theory is a probabilistic calculus that enables the calculation of the probabilities of the possible outcomes of a measurement performed on a physical system. But what is the relationship between this probabilistic calculus and probability theory itself? Is quantum theory compatible with probability theory? If so, does it extend or generalize probability theory? In this paper, we answer these questions, and precisely determine the relationship between quantum theory and probability theory, by explicitly deriving both theories from first principles. In both cases, the derivation depends upon identifying and harnessing the appropriate symmetries that are operative in each domain. We prove, for example, that quantum theory is compatible with probability theory by explicitly deriving quantum theory on the assumption that probability theory is generally valid.

John Edward Gough, Joachim Kupsch

Matsuo Sato

We formulate a quantum theory of the Universe based on Bayesian probability. In this theory, the probability of the Universe is not a frequency probability, which can be obtained by observing experimental results several times, but is a Bayesian probability, which can define a probability of an event that occurs just once. As an example, by applying the quantum theory of the Universe to an action of a scalar field theory in the four dimensions as a toy model for the theory of the Universe, we explicitly obtain the probability of the Universe and the action of matters in the Universe.

R. Salazar, Cristian Ignacio Jara-Figueroa, A. Delgado

We derive an analogue of the quantum total probability rule by constructing a probability theory based on paraconsistent logic. Bayesian probability theory is constructed upon classical logic and a desiderata, that is, a set of desired properties that the theory must obey. We construct a new probability theory following the desiderata of Bayesian probability theory but replacing the classical logic by paraconsistent logic. This class of logic has been conceived to handle eventual inconsistencies or contradictions among logical propositions without leading to the trivialisation of the theory. Within this Paraconsistent bayesian probability theory it is possible to deduce a new total probability rule which depends on the probabilities assigned to the inconsistencies. Certain assignments of values for these probabilities lead to expressions identical to those of Quantum mechanics, in particular to the quantum total probability rule obtained via symmetric informationally complete positive- operator valued measure.