Orthogonality and dimensionality

DOI10.3390/AXIOMS2040477MaRDI QIDQ402332zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Olivier Brunet

Publication date 28 August 2014

Published in Axioms (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4547

zbMATH Keywords

foundations of quantum mechanicsPiron's representation theoremquantum logic

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum logic (03G12) Complemented lattices, orthocomplemented lattices and posets (06C15) Logical foundations of quantum mechanics; quantum logic (quantum-theoretic aspects) (81P10)

Abstract: In this article, we present what we believe to be a simple way to motivate the use of Hilbert spaces in quantum mechanics. To achieve this, we study the way the notion of dimension can, at a very primitive level, be defined as the cardinality of a maximal collection of mutually orthogonal elements (which, for instance, can be seen as spatial directions). Following this idea, we develop a formalism based on two basic ingredients, namely an orthogonality relation and matroids which are a very generic algebraic structure permitting to define a notion of dimension. Having obtained what we call orthomatroids, we then show that, in high enough dimension, the basic ingredients of orthomatroids (more precisely the simple and irreducible ones) are isomorphic to generalized Hilbert lattices, so that the latter are a direct consequence of an orthogonality-based characterization of dimension.

Review text

Summary: In this article, we present what we believe to be a simple way to motivate the use of Hilbert spaces in quantum mechanics. To achieve this, we study the way the notion of dimension can, at a very primitive level, be defined as the cardinality of a maximal collection of mutually orthogonal elements (which, for instance, can be seen as spatial directions). Following this idea, we develop a formalism based on two basic ingredients, namely an orthogonality relation and matroids which are a very generic algebraic structure permitting to define a notion of dimension. Having obtained what we call orthomatroids, we then show that, in high enough dimension, the basic constituants of orthomatroids (more precisely the simple and irreducible ones) are isomorphic to generalized Hilbert lattices, so that their presence is a direct consequence of an orthogonality-based characterization of dimension.

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Cited in

(15)

• Orthomodularity and the incompatibility of relativity and quantum mechanics
• Orthogonal vector measures
• Gradual transitivity in orthogonality spaces of finite rank
• Structure in loss of orthogonality
• A unified construction of semiring-homomorphic graph invariants
• Transitivity and homogeneity of orthosets and inner-product spaces over subfields of \(\mathbb{R}\)
• Categories of orthogonality spaces
• Orthogonality spaces arising from infinite-dimensional complex Hilbert spaces
• Normal orthogonality spaces
• Are orthogonal separable coordinates really classified?
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3887878 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5368600 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1264148 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6932165 (Why is no real title available?)
• Linear orthosets and orthogeometries

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