An effect-theoretic reconstruction of quantum theory

DOI10.32408/COMPOSITIONALITY-1-1zbMATH Open1490.81018arXiv1801.05798OpenAlexW3105491358WikidataQ126589901 ScholiaQ126589901MaRDI QIDQ5087645FDOQ5087645

Authors: John van de Wetering 

Publication date: 1 July 2022

Published in: Compositionality (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: An often used model for quantum theory is to associate to every physical system a C*-algebra. From a physical point of view it is unclear why operator algebras would form a good description of nature. In this paper, we find a set of physically meaningful assumptions such that any physical theory satisfying these assumptions must embed into the category of finite-dimensional C*-algebras. These assumptions were originally introduced in the setting of effectus theory, a categorical logical framework generalizing classical and quantum logic. As these assumptions have a physical interpretation, this motivates the usage of operator algebras as a model for quantum theory. In contrast to other reconstructions of quantum theory, we do not start with the framework of generalized probabilistic theories and instead use effect theories where no convex structure and no tensor product needs to be present. The lack of this structure in effectus theory has led to a different notion of pure maps. A map in an effectus is pure when it is a composition of a compression and a filter. These maps satisfy particular universal properties and respectively correspond to `forgetting' and `measuring' the validity of an effect. We define a pure effect theory (PET) to be an effect theory where the pure maps form a dagger-category and filters and compressions are adjoint. We show that any convex finite-dimensional PET must embed into the category of Euclidean Jordan algebras. Moreover, if the PET also has monoidal structure, then we show that it must embed into either the category of real or complex C*-algebras, which completes our reconstruction.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.05798

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum logic (03G12) Logical foundations of quantum mechanics; quantum logic (quantum-theoretic aspects) (81P10) Applications of selfadjoint operator algebras to physics (46L60) Categorical aspects of linear logic (18M45)

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