Consistent histories and operational quantum theory (Q1923981)

In an article of \textit{C. J. Isham} [J. Math. Phys. 35, No. 5, 2157-2185 (1994; Zbl 0814.03040)] a connection between the history approach to Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Logic was established; namely, if \(H\) is the Hilbert space corresponding to the quantum system, Isham proposed that the set of all histories can be realized as the set of projection operators belonging to the infinite tensor product \(\otimes_{t\in R} {\mathcal B} (H)_t\) of copies of \({\mathcal B}(H)\), acting on a properly defined infinite tensor product of copies of \(H\). The so-called homogeneous histories correspond, in this approach, to projection operators of the form \(\otimes_{t\in R} P_t\), where \(P_t\) is a projection operator equal to \(I\) for all but a finite number of values. In this paper the main effort is to combine this approach with the so-called operational approach to non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics, in order to include histories composed of effects (i.e. positive operators \(F\) such that \(0\leq F\leq I)\) rather than propositions (i.e. projection operators). This is done by using the notion of tensor product of \(D\)-posets and direct limit of a directed family of \(D\)-posets. There is some overlap between this paper and a paper by \textit{S. Pulmannová} [Int. J. Theor. Phys. 34, No. 2, 189-210 (1995; Zbl 0832.03029)].