232 research outputs found
Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory with Locally Finite Degrees of Freedom
In the paper it will be shown that Reichenbach's Weak Common Cause Principle
is not valid in algebraic quantum field theory with locally finite degrees of
freedom in general. Namely, for any pair of projections A and B supported in
spacelike separated double cones O(a) and O(b), respectively, a correlating
state can be given for which there is no nontrivial common cause (system)
located in the union of the backward light cones of O(a) and O(b) and commuting
with the both A and B. Since noncommuting common cause solutions are presented
in these states the abandonment of commutativity can modulate this result:
noncommutative Common Cause Principles might survive in these models
Local Operations and Completely Positive Maps in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory
Einstein introduced the locality principle which states that all physical
effect in some finite space-time region does not influence its space-like
separated finite region. Recently, in algebraic quantum field theory, R\'{e}dei
captured the idea of the locality principle by the notion of operational
separability. The operation in operational separability is performed in some
finite space-time region, and leaves unchanged the state in its space-like
separated finite space-time region. This operation is defined with a completely
positive map. In the present paper, we justify using a completely positive map
as a local operation in algebraic quantum field theory, and show that this
local operation can be approximately written with Kraus operators under the
funnel property
Remarks on Causality in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory
It is shown that the correlations predicted by relativistic quantum field
theory in locally normal states between projections in local von Neumann
algebras \cA(V_1),\cA(V_2) associated with spacelike separated spacetime
regions have a (Reichenbachian) common cause located in the union of
the backward light cones of and . Further comments on causality and
independence in quantum field theory are made.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, Quantum Structures 2002 Conference Proceedings
submission. Minor revision of the order of definitions on p.
Noncommutative causality in algebraic quantum field theory
In the paper it will be argued that embracing noncommuting common causes in the causal explanation of quantum correlations in algebraic quantum field theory has the following two beneficial consequences: it helps (i) to maintain the validity of Reichenbach's Common Causal Principle and (ii) to provide a local common causal explanation for a set of correlations violating the Bell inequality
Bell's local causality is a d-separation criterion
This paper aims to motivate Bell's notion of local causality by means of
Bayesian networks. In a locally causal theory any superluminal correlation
should be screened off by atomic events localized in any so-called
\textit{shielder-off region} in the past of one of the correlating events. In a
Bayesian network any correlation between non-descendant random variables are
screened off by any so-called \textit{d-separating set} of variables. We will
argue that the shielder-off regions in the definition of local causality
conform in a well defined sense to the d-separating sets in Bayesian networks.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure
Common Causes and The Direction of Causation
Is the common cause principle merely one of a set of useful heuristics for discovering causal relations, or is it rather a piece of heavy duty metaphysics, capable of grounding the direction of causation itself? Since the principle was introduced in Reichenbachâs groundbreaking work The Direction of Time (1956), there have been a series of attempts to pursue the latter programâto take the probabilistic relationships constitutive of the principle of the common cause and use them to ground the direction of causation. These attempts have not all explicitly appealed to the principle as originally formulated; it has also appeared in the guise of independence conditions, counterfactual overdetermination, and, in the causal modelling literature, as the causal markov condition. In this paper, I identify a set of difficulties for grounding the asymmetry of causation on the principle and its descendents. The first difficulty, concerning what I call the vertical placement of causation, consists of a tension between considerations that drive towards the macroscopic scale, and considerations that drive towards the microscopic scaleâthe worry is that these considerations cannot both be comfortably accommodated. The second difficulty consists of a novel potential counterexample to the principle based on the familiar Einstein Podolsky Rosen (EPR) cases in quantum mechanics
Complementarity and the algebraic structure of 4-level quantum systems
The history of complementary observables and mutual unbiased bases is
reviewed. A characterization is given in terms of conditional entropy of
subalgebras. The concept of complementarity is extended to non-commutative
subalgebras. Complementary decompositions of a 4-level quantum system are
described and a characterization of the Bell basis is obtained.Comment: 19 page
Applying causality principles to the axiomatization of probabilistic cellular automata
Cellular automata (CA) consist of an array of identical cells, each of which
may take one of a finite number of possible states. The entire array evolves in
discrete time steps by iterating a global evolution G. Further, this global
evolution G is required to be shift-invariant (it acts the same everywhere) and
causal (information cannot be transmitted faster than some fixed number of
cells per time step). At least in the classical, reversible and quantum cases,
these two top-down axiomatic conditions are sufficient to entail more
bottom-up, operational descriptions of G. We investigate whether the same is
true in the probabilistic case. Keywords: Characterization, noise, Markov
process, stochastic Einstein locality, screening-off, common cause principle,
non-signalling, Multi-party non-local box.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX, v2: refs adde
Algebras of Measurements: the logical structure of Quantum Mechanics
In Quantum Physics, a measurement is represented by a projection on some
closed subspace of a Hilbert space. We study algebras of operators that
abstract from the algebra of projections on closed subspaces of a Hilbert
space. The properties of such operators are justified on epistemological
grounds. Commutation of measurements is a central topic of interest. Classical
logical systems may be viewed as measurement algebras in which all measurements
commute. Keywords: Quantum measurements, Measurement algebras, Quantum Logic.
PACS: 02.10.-v.Comment: Submitted, 30 page
Markov semigroups, monoids, and groups
A group is Markov if it admits a prefix-closed regular language of unique
representatives with respect to some generating set, and strongly Markov if it
admits such a language of unique minimal-length representatives over every
generating set. This paper considers the natural generalizations of these
concepts to semigroups and monoids. Two distinct potential generalizations to
monoids are shown to be equivalent. Various interesting examples are presented,
including an example of a non-Markov monoid that nevertheless admits a regular
language of unique representatives over any generating set. It is shown that
all finitely generated commutative semigroups are strongly Markov, but that
finitely generated subsemigroups of virtually abelian or polycyclic groups need
not be. Potential connections with word-hyperbolic semigroups are investigated.
A study is made of the interaction of the classes of Markov and strongly Markov
semigroups with direct products, free products, and finite-index subsemigroups
and extensions. Several questions are posed.Comment: 40 pages; 3 figure
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