Structural Observability I: A Framework for Outcome Formation in Quantum Measurement

Mark Dukes

Published Mar 21, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

RECORD 1 — Structural Observability I Description Structural Observability I: A Framework for Outcome Formation in Quantum Measurement This paper introduces the Structural Observability (SO) framework, which specifies the physical conditions under which definite outcomes arise in quantum measurement. The framework distinguishes between the Complete Relational Configuration (CRC) and the Limited Observational Reference Frame (L-ORF), and defines a three-condition requirement for outcome formation: stability, distinguishability, and accessibility. The SO framework does not modify the predictive formalism of quantum mechanics. Instead, it provides a structural account of why that formalism takes the form it does, identifying the conditions under which probability assignments and definite outcomes become well-defined. A companion paper, Structural Observability II, develops the experimentally testable consequences of this framework, including a threshold condition for outcome formation and multiple falsifiable predictions. Keywords quantum measurement, decoherence, measurement problem, quantum foundations, information theory, entanglement, Born rule

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19144124

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