English

The Algebraic Landscape of Kochen-Specker Sets in Dimension Three

Quantum Physics 2026-04-14 v7

Abstract

We present a computational survey of Kochen-Specker (KS) uncolorability in three-dimensional Hilbert space across two-symbol coordinate alphabets A={0,±1,±x}\mathcal{A} = \{0, \pm 1, \pm x\} drawn from quadratic, cyclotomic, and golden-ratio number fields. In every tested raw alphabet (before cross-product completion), KS sets arise only when xx supports one of two cancellation mechanisms: modulus-2 cancellation (the generator satisfies x2=2|x|^2 = 2, as in 22=2|\sqrt{2}|^2=2, 22=2|\sqrt{-2}|^2=2, or α2=2|\alpha|^2=2; the integer case 1+1=21+1=2 is the degenerate additive instance) or phase cancellation (a vanishing sum of unit-modulus terms, as in 1+ω+ω2=01+\omega+\omega^2=0). Alphabets whose generators have x23|x|^2 \geq 3 and are not roots of unity produce orthogonal triples but not KS-uncolorability in our survey. This empirical pattern explains why constructions cluster into at least six discrete algebraic islands among the tested fields (with a seventh, cubic island confirmed at higher cost). Two yield potentially new KS graph types: the Heegner-7 ring Z[(1+7)/2]\mathbb{Z}[(1+\sqrt{-7})/2] (43 vectors) and the golden ratio field Q(φ)\mathbb{Q}(\varphi) (52 vectors, revealed only by cross-product completion); Z[2]\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-2}] provides a new algebraic realization of a known Peres-type graph. Using SAT-based bipartite KS-uncolorability, we verify the input counts of Trandafir and Cabello for three islands (exact) and establish upper bounds for three others. The golden ratio island is a boundary case: its raw alphabet satisfies neither mechanism, but cross-product completion introduces effective modulus-2 cancellations. Whether the two-mechanism pattern extends to all number fields remains an open question.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.16988,
  title  = {The Algebraic Landscape of Kochen-Specker Sets in Dimension Three},
  author = {Michael Kernaghan},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.16988},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

33 pages, 14 tables, no figures