55 research outputs found
Which causal structures might support a quantum-classical gap?
A causal scenario is a graph that describes the cause and effect
relationships between all relevant variables in an experiment. A scenario is
deemed `not interesting' if there is no device-independent way to distinguish
the predictions of classical physics from any generalised probabilistic theory
(including quantum mechanics). Conversely, an interesting scenario is one in
which there exists a gap between the predictions of different operational
probabilistic theories, as occurs for example in Bell-type experiments. Henson,
Lal and Pusey (HLP) recently proposed a sufficient condition for a causal
scenario to not be interesting. In this paper we supplement their analysis with
some new techniques and results. We first show that existing graphical
techniques due to Evans can be used to confirm by inspection that many graphs
are interesting without having to explicitly search for inequality violations.
For three exceptional cases -- the graphs numbered 15,16,20 in HLP -- we show
that there exist non-Shannon type entropic inequalities that imply these graphs
are interesting. In doing so, we find that existing methods of entropic
inequalities can be greatly enhanced by conditioning on the specific values of
certain variables.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 1 bicycle. Added an appendix showing that
e-separation is strictly more general than the skeleton method. Added journal
referenc
Quantum dynamics is linear because quantum states are epistemic
According to quantum theory, a scientist in a sealed laboratory cannot tell
whether they are inside a superposition or not. Consequently, so long as they
remain isolated, they can assume without inconsistency that their measurements
result in definite outcomes. We elevate this to the status of a general
principle, which we call Local Definiteness. We apply this principle in the
context of modifications of quantum theory that allow the dynamics to be
non-linear. We prove that any such theory satisfies Local Definiteness if and
only if its dynamics is linear. We further note that any interpretation that
takes quantum states to be epistemic necessarily satisfies the principle,
whereas interpretations that take quantum states to be ontic do not satisfy it,
unless they make additional assumptions that amount to presupposing linearity
of the dynamics. Therefore the reason why experiments to date have not found
evidence of non-linear dynamics might simply be that quantum states are
epistemic.Comment: 13 pages, plus references and appendices. Arguments clarified and
better organized; some minor corrections. The juicy bits are in section I
A single space-time is too small for all of Wigner's friends
Recent no-go theorems on interpretations of quantum theory featuring an
assumption of `Absoluteness of Observed Events' (AOE) are shown to have an
unexpectedly strong corollary: one cannot reject AOE and at the same time
assume that the `observed events' in question can all be embedded within a
single background space-time common to all observers. Consequently, all
interpretations that reject AOE must follow QBism in rejecting a `block
universe' view of space-time.Comment: 4 pages. Alternative title: `This space-time ain't big enough for the
both of us
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