Homer nodded: von Neumann's surprising oversight

DOI10.1007/S10701-018-0197-5zbMATH Open1415.81010arXiv1805.10311OpenAlexW3102311139WikidataQ61940263 ScholiaQ61940263MaRDI QIDQ1735902FDOQ1735902

Authors: R. Schack, N. David Mermin 

Publication date: 29 March 2019

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

Abstract: We review the famous no-hidden-variables theorem in John von Neumann's 1932 book on the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics. We describe the notorious gap in von Neumann's argument, pointed out by Grete Hermann in 1935 and, more famously, by John Bell in 1966. We disagree with recent papers claiming that Hermann and Bell failed to understand what von Neumann was actually doing.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.10311

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 19th century (01A55) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) History of quantum theory (81-03)

Cites Work

• Speakable and unspeakable in quantum mechanics
• On the Problem of Hidden Variables in Quantum Mechanics
• von Neumann's `No hidden variables' proof: a re-appraisal
• Von Neumann's impossibility proof: mathematics in the service of rhetorics
• Title not available (Why is that?)

Cited In (4)

• Von Neumann's theorem revisited
• von Neumann's `No hidden variables' proof: a re-appraisal
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• A note on Bell's theorem logical consistency

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