English

Probability sum rules and consistent quantum histories

Quantum Physics 2010-10-11 v7

Abstract

An example shows that weak decoherence is more restrictive than the minimal logical decoherence structure that allows probabilities to be used consistently for quantum histories. The probabilities in the sum rules that define minimal decoherence are all calculated by using a projection operator to describe each possibility for the state at each time. Weak decoherence requires more sum rules. They bring in additional variables, that require different measurements and a different way to calculate probabilities, and raise questions of operational meaning. The example shows that extending the linearly positive probability formula from weak to minimal decoherence gives probabilities that are different from those calculated in the usual way using the Born and von Neumann rules and a projection operator at each time.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0801.2725,
  title  = {Probability sum rules and consistent quantum histories},
  author = {Thomas F. Jordan and Eric D. Chisolm},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0801.2725},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

14 pages, 2 figures, added discussion of tensor-product histories in response to Physics Letters A referee, corrected typo

R2 v1 2026-06-21T10:03:56.298Z