Labels for non-individuals?

DOI10.1007/S10702-005-1126-3MaRDI QIDQ812040zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Adonai S. Sant'Anna

Publication date 23 January 2006

Published in Foundations of Physics Letters (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0408168

zbMATH Keywords

labelsquantum indistinguishabilityquantum logic, Zermelo-Fraenkel set theoryquantum mechanicsquasi-set theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Logical foundations of quantum mechanics; quantum logic (quantum-theoretic aspects) (81P10) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15)

Abstract: Quasi-set theory is a first order theory without identity, which allows us to cope with non-individuals in a sense. A weaker equivalence relation called ``indistinguishability is an extension of identity in the sense that if $x$ is identical to $y$ then $x$ and $y$ are indistinguishable, although the reciprocal is not always valid. The interesting point is that quasi-set theory provides us a useful mathematical background for dealing with collections of indistinguishable elementary quantum particles. In the present paper, however, we show that even in quasi-set theory it is possible to label objects that are considered as non-individuals. We intend to prove that individuality has nothing to do with any labelling process at all, as suggested by some authors. We discuss the physical interpretation of our results.

Review text

Although quantum objects which share their properties are indistinguishable, they are not identical. This philosophical issue needs to be mathematically clarified, since classical logic does not imply any difference between indistinguishability and identity. An approach, called quasi-set theory, has been developed by some authors, including the author of the paper under review. Quasi-set theory is an extension of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory, that allows to talk about certain undistinguishable objects that are not identical. Such indistinguishable objects are called non-individuals. In the paper under review the authors introduce an algorithm which allows to label indistinguishable objects in the context of quasi-set theory. Some applications of the quasi-set theory, conclusions and still open problems have also been discussed.

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Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1257634 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1049074 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3051296 (Why is no real title available?)
• On a quasi-set theory
• Representation and invariance of scientific structures

Cited in

(7)

• Axioms for collections of indistinguishable objects
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3898865 (Why is no real title available?)
• Many entities, no identity
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1918500 (Why is no real title available?)
• To label, or not to label (in generic groups)
• No labeling quantum mechanics of indiscernible particles
• On the consistency of quasi-set theory

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