Is a system's wave function in one-to-one correspondence with its elements of reality?
dc.contributor.author
Colbeck, Roger
dc.contributor.author
Renner, Renato
dc.date.accessioned
2020-09-25T18:11:37Z
dc.date.available
2017-06-09T17:46:34Z
dc.date.available
2020-09-25T18:11:37Z
dc.date.issued
2011-11-28
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/42417
dc.description.abstract
Given the wave function associated with a physical system, quantum theory allows us to compute predictions for the outcomes of any measurement. Since, within quantum theory, a wave function corresponds to an extremal state and is therefore maximally informative, one possible view is that it can be considered an (objective) physical property of the system. However, an alternative view, often motivated by the probabilistic nature of quantum predictions, is that the wave function represents incomplete (subjective) knowledge about some underlying physical properties. Recently, Pusey et al. [arXiv:1111.3328, 2011] showed that the latter, subjective interpretation would contradict certain physically plausible assumptions, in particular that it is possible to prepare multiple systems such that their (possibly hidden) physical properties are uncorrelated. Here we present a novel argument, showing that a subjective interpretation of the wave function can be ruled out as a consequence of the completeness of quantum theory. This allows us to establish that wave functions are physical properties, using only minimal assumptions. Specifically, the (necessary) assumptions are that quantum theory correctly predicts the statistics of measurement outcomes and that measurement settings can (in principle) be chosen freely.
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
Cornell University
en_US
dc.title
Is a system's wave function in one-to-one correspondence with its elements of reality?
en_US
dc.title.alternative
Completeness of quantum theory implies that wave functions are physical properties
en_US
dc.type
Working Paper
ethz.journal.title
arXiv
ethz.pages.start
1111.6597
en_US
ethz.size
6 p.
en_US
ethz.grant
Information-theoretic methods for physics
en_US
ethz.grant
Generalized (quantum) information theory
en_US
ethz.identifier.arxiv
1111.6597
ethz.publication.place
Ithaca, NY
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02010 - Dep. Physik / Dep. of Physics::02511 - Institut für Theoretische Physik / Institute for Theoretical Physics::03781 - Renner, Renato / Renner, Renato
en_US
ethz.leitzahl.certified
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02010 - Dep. Physik / Dep. of Physics::02511 - Institut für Theoretische Physik / Institute for Theoretical Physics::03781 - Renner, Renato / Renner, Renato
ethz.grant.agreementno
135048
ethz.grant.agreementno
258932
ethz.grant.fundername
SNF
ethz.grant.fundername
EC
ethz.grant.funderDoi
10.13039/501100001711
ethz.grant.funderDoi
10.13039/501100000780
ethz.grant.program
Projektförderung in Mathematik, Natur- und Ingenieurwissenschaften (Abteilung II)
ethz.grant.program
FP7
ethz.relation.isPreviousVersionOf
20.500.11850/48211
ethz.date.deposited
2017-06-09T17:46:53Z
ethz.source
ECIT
ethz.identifier.importid
imp59364eb96cb8e32399
ethz.ecitpid
pub:70602
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Metadata only
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2017-07-12T22:07:35Z
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2021-02-15T17:35:14Z
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true
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