Thermodynamic Sculpting of Hilbert Space Structure Reconstructing Complex Quantum Theory from Minimal Operational Postulates in Generalized Probabilistic Theories
We investigate the extent to which thermodynamic reasonableness, formalized as two operational postulates on entropy and reversible dynamics within the framework of Generalized Probabilistic Theories (GPTs), uniquely determines the complex Hilbert space formalism of standard quantum mechanics. Building on Krumm, Müller, and Masanes (2017), we provide an extended classification of state spaces satisfying thermodynamic consistency for systems of (N \ge 3) distinguishable states, proving that self-duality of the state cone, spectral entropy compatibility, and continuous reversible dynamics jointly eliminate real and quaternionic quantum theories as viable candidates. We show that augmenting the thermodynamic postulates with local tomographic closure and a purification principle is sufficient to recover full complex Hilbert space structure, deriving analogues of the Born rule via entropy maximization arguments. A central novel result is a no-go theorem establishing that non-complex state spaces cannot support a continuous, reversible, and entropy-preserving dynamics compatible with thermodynamic equilibration in composite systems. We further propose experimentally falsifiable signatures of post-quantum deviations using higher-order interference, generalized Landauer erasure, and multi-slit protocols. Also available on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/attachments/132550729/download_file?s=portfolio
We investigate the extent to which thermodynamic reasonableness, formalized as two operational postulates on entropy and reversible dynamics within the framework of Generalized Probabilistic Theories (GPTs), uniquely determines the complex Hilbert space formalism of standard quantum mechanics. Building on Krumm, Müller, and Masanes (2017), we provide an extended classification of state spaces satisfying thermodynamic consistency for systems of (N \ge 3) distinguishable states, proving that self-duality of the state cone, spectral entropy compatibility, and continuous reversible dynamics jointly eliminate real and quaternionic quantum theories as viable candidates. We show that augmenting the thermodynamic postulates with local tomographic closure and a purification principle is sufficient to recover full complex Hilbert space structure, deriving analogues of the Born rule via entropy maximization arguments. A central novel result is a no-go theorem establishing that non-complex state spaces cannot support a continuous, reversible, and entropy-preserving dynamics compatible with thermodynamic equilibration in composite systems. We further propose experimentally falsifiable signatures of post-quantum deviations using higher-order interference, generalized Landauer erasure, and multi-slit protocols. Also available on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/attachments/132550729/download_file?s=portfolio
The 2017 paper by Marius Krumm, Howard Barnum, Jonathan Barrett, and Markus P. Müller, published in New Journal of Physics, represents a landmark contribution to the foundations of quantum mechanics within the framework of generalised probabilistic theories (GPTs). By imposing two minimal thermodynamic postulates—reversible transformations between distinguishable pure states and the existence of a semi-permeable membrane distinguishing them—the authors demonstrate that key structural features of quantum theory, including self-duality of the state space, analogues of projective measurements, subspaces, and eigenvalues, emerge naturally from thermodynamic compatibility. Yet these postulates leave room for a Mamun, SM (2026)……………………………………………1 Thermodynamic Sculpting of Quantum Foundations: An Anatomical Review of Krumm et al. (2017) in the Context of Advances in Generalized Probabilistic Theories and Pathways for Hilbert Space Evolution (Vol-I) restricted class of non-quantum theories consistent with a von Neumann-style thermodynamic entropy and the second law. This review provides a thorough anatomical dissection of the paper's arguments, contrasts its findings with post-2017 developments in GPTs, quantum thermodynamics, and experimental tests of higher-order interference, and explores plausible evolutionary pathways for assessing and potentially extending the Hilbert space formalism. Also available on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/attachments/132550634/download_file?s=portfolio
Despite its unparalleled empirical success, the standard formalism of quantum mechanics, strictly bound to complex Hilbert spaces, raises profound foundational questions regarding its axiomatic origins. Among the most enduring mysteries is why quantum theory permits pairwise, second-order interference, yet strictly forbids genuine higher-order multi-path interference. While Rafael Sorkin's quantum measure theory formalized this absence of higher-order interference mathematically, a comprehensive physical justification rooted in thermodynamics has remained elusive. This report provides an exhaustive analysis bridging Sorkin's hierarchy of interference with operational thermodynamics within the framework of Generalized Probabilistic Theories (GPTs). Building upon Krumm et al.'s seminal Theorem 12—which establishes a strict equivalence between the absence of third-order interference and the coincidence of measurement and decomposition max-entropies—this paper generalizes the Mamun, SM (2026) ……………………………….1 Higher-Order Interference and Thermodynamic Entropy in Generalized Hilbert Spaces Bridging Sorkin's Framework with Operational Thermodynamics (Vol-III) equivalence to arbitrary-order Rényi entropies across non-Hilbert state spaces. Also available on Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/attachments/132551016/download_file?s=portfolio
Despite its enormous empirical success, the formalism of quantum theory still raises fundamental questions: why is nature described in terms of complex Hilbert spaces, and what modifications of it could we reasonably expect to find in some regimes of physics? Here we address these questions by studying how compatibility with thermodynamics constrains the structure of quantum theory. We employ two postulates that any probabilistic theory with reasonable thermodynamic behaviour should arguably satisfy. In the framework of generalised probabilistic theories, we show that these postulates already imply important aspects of quantum theory, like self-duality and analogues of projective measurements, subspaces and eigenvalues. However, they may still admit a class of theories beyond quantum mechanics. Using a thought experiment by von Neumann, we show that these theories admit a consistent thermodynamic notion of entropy, and prove that the second law holds for projective measurements and mixing procedures. Furthermore, we study additional entropy-like quantities based on measurement probabilities and convex decomposition probabilities, and uncover a relation between one of these quantities and Sorkin’s notion of higher-order interference.
We show that the mathematical structure of Hilbert space—typically postulated in quantum theory—emerges as a consequence of two fundamental principles derived within the TEQ framework: (1) entropy as a generative structural principle; (2) a minimal principle selecting stable distinctions. These principles, and the resulting entropy-weighted action functional, are derived from first principles in prior work. Here, we analyze the entropy-weighted path integral and the geometry of entropy curvature, and prove that the space of entropy-stabilized modes satisfies the axioms of a Hilbert space: linearity, inner product structure, norm completeness, and probabilistic interpretation. In this view, the Born rule itself emerges from entropy-weighted path selection. Importantly, this result shows that the TEQ framework fully recovers the standard Hilbert space formalism—not by postulate, but as a structural consequence of its core principles—thus preserving compatibility with quantum theory while providing it with a deeper generative foundation. Our results strengthen the explanatory power of the TEQ framework and offer a structural derivation of core quantum features from a common thermodynamic-geometric basis.
This work presents an axiomatic and structural reconstruction of core elements of quantum mechanics. Starting from minimal principles — symmetry under vanishing preference, normalization, consistency of probability assignments, and coherence-preserving dynamics — we derive several central features of the quantum formalism rather than postulating them. Key results include: A geometric derivation of the constants 1/21/\sqrt{2}1/2 and 1/21/21/2 from symmetry and normalization. A theorem-level derivation of the Born rule (including the qubit case) from noncontextuality and additivity. A reconstruction of Schrödinger dynamics from reversible norm-preserving structure. A derivation of the tensor-product structure for composite systems from composition axioms and local tomography, with entanglement emerging as a necessary consequence. Formal treatment of Bell–CHSH nonlocality, Tsirelson’s bound, and no-signalling. A conditional reconstruction of complex Hilbert space structure from intrinsic phase dynamics and compositional consistency. The manuscript is self-contained and framed in standard mathematical-physics language. It does not propose modifications to quantum mechanics, but instead clarifies why many of its defining structures arise inevitably from deeper structural constraints. Prior computational and model-based work by the authors (including diagnostic toy models exploring phase locking, coherence stabilization, and recursive-time dynamics) is acknowledged but intentionally not reproduced here, in order to keep the present work focused on axiomatic structure rather than model-specific architecture. This upload is intended as a foundations and reconstruction contribution, suitable for readers interested in the mathematical and conceptual structure of quantum theory.