On the Unpredictability of Individual Quantum Measurement Outcomes

DOI10.1007/978-3-319-23534-9_4MaRDI QIDQ2947166zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Alastair A. Abbott, Karl Svozil, Cristian S. Calude

Publication date 22 September 2015

Published in Fields of Logic and Computation II (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.2738

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15)

Abstract: We develop a general, non-probabilistic model of prediction which is suitable for assessing the (un)predictability of individual physical events. We use this model to provide, for the first time, a rigorous proof of the unpredictability of a class of individual quantum measurement outcomes, a well-known quantum attribute postulated or claimed for a long time. We prove that quantum indeterminism - formally modelled as value indefiniteness - is incompatible with the supposition of predictability: measurements of value indefinite observables are unpredictable. The proof makes essential use of a strengthened form of the Kochen-Specker theorem proven previously to identify value indefinite observables. This form of quantum unpredictability, like the Kochen-Specker theorem, relies on three assumptions: compatibility with quantum mechanical predictions, non-contextuality, and the value definiteness of observables corresponding to the preparation basis of a quantum state. We explore the relation between unpredictability and incomputability and show that the unpredictability of individual measurements of a value indefinite quantum observable complements, and is independent of, the global strong incomputability of any sequence of outcomes of this particular quantum experiment. Finally, we discuss a real model of hypercomputation whose computational power has yet to be determined, as well as further open problems.

Recommendations

• Undecidability and the problem of outcomes in quantum measurements
• Quantum randomness and unpredictability
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1139335
• Measurement outcomes and probability in Everettian quantum mechanics
• Classical and nonclassical randomness in quantum measurements
• The unreasonable success of quantum probability. I: Quantum measurements as uniform fluctuations
• The unreasonable success of quantum probability. II: Quantum measurements as universal measurements
• On randomness in quantum mechanics
• Uncertainties in quantum measurements: a quantum tomography

Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3136643 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 44378 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 46958 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3015360 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1911266 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3251317 (Why is no real title available?)
• A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of "Hidden" Variables. I
• Algorithmic randomness and complexity.
• Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?
• Do we really understand quantum mechanics?
• On the Problem of Hidden Variables in Quantum Mechanics
• Phase transition and strong predictability
• Physical limits of inference
• Physics in My Generation
• Quantum Selections, Propensities and the Problem of Measurement
• Randomness Is Unpredictability
• Statistical mechanics and thermodynamics: a Maxwellian view
• Violation of Bell's Inequality under Strict Einstein Locality Conditions
• What Are the New Implications of Chaos for Unpredictability?

Cited in

(11)

• Prefix-free quantum Kolmogorov complexity
• Bi-immunity over different size alphabets
• Undecidability and the problem of outcomes in quantum measurements
• Quantum randomness and unpredictability
• Outcome determinism in measurement-based quantum computation with qudits
• Quantum value indefiniteness
• Quantum randomness: from practice to theory and back
• Classical, quantum and biological randomness as relative unpredictability
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 7453171 (Why is no real title available?)
• A new quantum random number generator certified by value indefiniteness
• Typical unpreparability of quantum states with quantum circuit model

This page was built for publication: On the Unpredictability of Individual Quantum Measurement Outcomes

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2947166)