Topos-theoretic extension of a modal interpretation of quantum mechanics (Q1008115)

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scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5531574
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    Topos-theoretic extension of a modal interpretation of quantum mechanics
    scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5531574

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      Topos-theoretic extension of a modal interpretation of quantum mechanics (English)
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      24 March 2009
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      The celebrated Kochen-Specker theorem [cf. \textit{S. Kochen}, and \textit{E. P. Specker}, J. Math. Mech. 17, 59--87 (1967; Zbl 0156.23302)] prohibits that all possible quantum propositions have definite truth values. Hence so-called modal interpretations must work with a reduced set of true quantum propositions. The author refers to the results of J. Bub, who defined a maximal sublattice of quantum propositions, which is compatible with the Kochen-Specker theorem [cf. \textit{J. Bub}, Interpreting the quantum world. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1991; Zbl 0993.81002), Foundations of Physics 22, 737--754 (1992)]. His construction is carried out in the lattice of all subspaces of a finite-dimensional Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\). It depends on the choice of a ray (=quantum state) \(e\) in \(\mathcal H\), and some observable \(R\), and it is denoted by \({\mathcal D}(e,R)\). In particular, a lattice homomorphism into \(\{0,1\}\) is constructed. The author transfers the construction of \({\mathcal D}(e,R)\) and of valuation functions on it to the functor category \({\mathbf{Sets}}^{\mathcal C}_R\), where the objects of the base categoy \({\mathcal C}_R\) is the set of rays. The use of topos theory is mainly inspired by work of \textit{C. J. Isham} and \textit{J. Butterfield}, cf. for instance [Int. J. Theor. Physics 37, 2669--2733 (1998; Zbl 0979.81018)], \textit{C. J. Isham}, and \textit{A. Döring} [J. Math. Phys. 49, No.~5 (2008)], which seems to indicate that topos theory might be a convenient tool to get rid of the object-observer-dichotomy in classical quantum mechanics.
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      quantum logic
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      topos
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      modal interpretation
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      presheaf
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      sheaf
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      Heyting algebra
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