Why do the quantum observables form a Jordan operator algebra?

DOI10.1023/B:IJTP.0000028848.33510.F4MaRDI QIDQ702983zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Gerd Niestegge

Publication date 19 January 2005

Published in International Journal of Theoretical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1001.3797

zbMATH Keywords

Jordan operator algebrasquantum mechanics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of selfadjoint operator algebras to physics (46L60) Applications of functional analysis in quantum physics (46N50) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Operator algebra methods applied to problems in quantum theory (81R15)

Abstract: The Jordan algebra structure of the bounded real quantum observables was recognized already in the early days of quantum mechanics. While there are plausible reasons for most parts of this structure, the existence of the distributive nonassociative multiplication operation is hard to justify from a physical or statistical point of view. Considering the non-Boolean extension of classical probabilities, presented in a recent paper, it is shown in this paper that such a multiplication operation can be derived from certain properties of the conditional probabilities and the observables, i.e., from postulates with a clear statistical interpretation. The well-known close relation between Jordan operator algebras and C*-algebras then provides the connection to the quantum-mechanical Hilbert space formalism, thus resulting in a novel axiomatic approach to general quantum mechanics that includes the types II and III von Neumann algebras.

Review text

This paper is a continuation of a previous work by the same author [J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 34, 6031--6042 (2001; Zbl 0981.81015)], where a non-Boolean extension of classical probabilities was presented in order to apply it in the quantum measurement process. Here the author shows how to derive the distributive nonassociative multiplication operation of a Jordan algebra of operators associated to quantum observables, from certain properties of the conditional probabilities and the observables in this new framework, which has a clear statistical interpretation.

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• A representation of quantum measurement in nonassociative algebras
• An approach to quantum mechanics via conditional probabilities
• Different types of conditional expectation and the Lüders-von Neumann quantum measurement
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• Composite systems and the role of the complex numbers in quantum mechanics
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• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3941761 (Why is no real title available?)
• The geometry of physical observables
• A simple and quantum-mechanically motivated characterization of the formally real Jordan algebras
• Local tomography and the role of the complex numbers in quantum mechanics
• Defining quantumness via the Jordan product
• A representation of quantum measurement in order-unit spaces

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