dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaNullification of the Nullification
| Authors | D. M. Appleby |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0109034 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0109034 |
Abstract
A recent claim by Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC), that their models ``nullify'' the Kochen-Specker theorem, has attracted much comment. In this paper we present a new counter-argument, based on the fact that a classical measurement reveals, not simply a pre-existing value, but pre-existing classical information. In the MKC models measurements do not generally reveal pre-existing classical information. Consequently, the Kochen-Specker theorem is not nullified. We go on to prove a generalized version of the Kochen-Specker theorem, applying to non-ideal quantum measurements. The theorem was inspired by the work of Simon et al and Larsson (SBZL). However, there is a loophole in SBZL's argument, which means that their result is invalid (operational non-contextuality is not inconsistent with the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics). Our treatment resolves this difficulty. We conclude by discussing the question, whether the MKC models can reproduce the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics.
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"abstract": "A recent claim by Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC), that their models\n``nullify\u0027\u0027 the Kochen-Specker theorem, has attracted much comment. In this\npaper we present a new counter-argument, based on the fact that a classical\nmeasurement reveals, not simply a pre-existing value, but pre-existing\nclassical information. In the MKC models measurements do not generally reveal\npre-existing classical information. Consequently, the Kochen-Specker theorem is\nnot nullified. We go on to prove a generalized version of the Kochen-Specker\ntheorem, applying to non-ideal quantum measurements. The theorem was inspired\nby the work of Simon et al and Larsson (SBZL). However, there is a loophole in\nSBZL\u0027s argument, which means that their result is invalid (operational\nnon-contextuality is not inconsistent with the empirical predictions of quantum\nmechanics). Our treatment resolves this difficulty. We conclude by discussing\nthe question, whether the MKC models can reproduce the empirical predictions of\nquantum mechanics.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0109034",
"authors": [
"D. M. Appleby"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"title": "Nullification of the Nullification",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0109034"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "8e921b1c-351e-4aa5-9fc5-c71e625a97a8",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
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