dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaCounterfactual reasoning in time-symmetric quantum mechanics
| Authors | D. J. Miller |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0410076 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0410076 |
Abstract
A qualification is suggested for the counterfactual reasoning involved in some aspects of time-symmetric quantum theory (which involves ensembles selected by both the initial and final states). The qualification is that the counterfactual reasoning should only apply to times when the quantum system has been subjected to physical interactions which place it in a ``measurement-ready condition" for the unperformed experiment on which the counterfactual reasoning is based. The defining characteristic of a "measurement-ready condition" is that a quantum system could be found to have the counterfactually ascribed property without direct physical interaction with the eigenstate corresponding to that property.
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"abstract": "A qualification is suggested for the counterfactual reasoning involved in\nsome aspects of time-symmetric quantum theory (which involves ensembles\nselected by both the initial and final states). The qualification is that the\ncounterfactual reasoning should only apply to times when the quantum system has\nbeen subjected to physical interactions which place it in a ``measurement-ready\ncondition\" for the unperformed experiment on which the counterfactual reasoning\nis based. The defining characteristic of a \"measurement-ready condition\" is\nthat a quantum system could be found to have the counterfactually ascribed\nproperty without direct physical interaction with the eigenstate corresponding\nto that property.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0410076",
"authors": [
"D. J. Miller"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"title": "Counterfactual reasoning in time-symmetric quantum mechanics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0410076"
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