Quantum theory as a theory in a classical propositional calculus (Q685163)

The poset of a classical propositional theory \(T\) is defined to be the set \(U_ T\) of equivalence classes of simple propositions under equivalence determined by \(T\), partially ordered by \([p]\leq [q]\) iff \((p\to q)\in T\). The central mathematical result of the paper says that, given any ortholattice \(L\) satisfying a certain atomicity condition, we can choose a theory \(T\) so, that \(U_ T\) is isomorphic to \(L\) (and hence, also is an ortholattice. It cannot, in general, be embedded into the Lindenbaum algebra of \(T\); so orthocomplementation in \(U_ T\) does not correspond to negation). Now the principal physical implication emphasized by the author is the possibility to consider quantum theory as a theory in classical propositional calculus whose poset is isomorphic to the lattice of all closed subspaces of a separable Hilbert space. In particular, this approach is shown to provide a new look at the wave- particle duality.