An Information-Theoretic Approach to Quantum Theory, I: The Abstract Quantum Formalism

dc.creatorGoyal, Philip
dc.date2007-02-13
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T07:46:44Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T07:46:44Z
dc.descriptionIn this paper and a companion paper, we attempt to systematically investigate the possibility that the concept of information may enable a derivation of the quantum formalism from a set of physically comprehensible postulates. To do so, we formulate an abstract experimental set-up and a set of assumptions based on generalizations of experimental facts that can be reasonably taken to be representative of quantum phenomena, and on theoretical ideas and principles, and show that it is possible to deduce the quantum formalism. In particular, we show that it is possible to derive the abstract quantum formalism for finite-dimensional quantum systems and the formal relations, such as the canonical commutation relationships and Dirac's Poisson Bracket rule, that are needed to apply the abstract formalism to particular systems of interest. The concept of information, via an information-theoretic invariance principle, plays a key role in the derivation, and gives rise to some of the central structural features of the quantum formalism.
dc.description31 pages, 2 eps figures, revtex4. Comments welcome
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0702124
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0702124
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/123927
dc.subjectQuantum Physics
dc.titleAn Information-Theoretic Approach to Quantum Theory, I: The Abstract Quantum Formalism
dc.typetext

Files

Collections