Related papers: Understanding the Frauchiger-Renner Argument

In a recent result, Frauchiger and Renner argue that if quantum theory accurately describes complex systems like observers who perform measurements, then "we are forced to give up the view that there is one single reality." Following a…

The Gedankenexperiment advanced by Frauchiger and Renner in their "Nature" paper was based on an implicit assumption that one can synchronize stochastic measurement intervals between two non-interacting systems. This hypothesis, the author…

Predictions of quantum theory have been confirmed experimentally in the microscopic domain with no known exceptions. This success motivates physicists to assume universal validity of the theory. To put the predictions of the quantum theory…

Quantum theory provides an extremely accurate description of fundamental processes in physics. It thus seems likely that the theory is applicable beyond the, mostly microscopic, domain in which it has been tested experimentally. Here we…

Frauchiger and Renner recently cast doubt on the universal applicability of Quantum Mechanics [1]. In the following, it is pointed out that their conclusion of one of three common-sense conditions, demanded for Quantum Mechanics, being…

A recent no-go theorem gives an extension of the Wigner's friend argument that purports to prove that "Quantum theory cannot consistently describe the use of itself." The argument is complex and thought provoking, but fails in a…

Frauchiger and Renner have recently claimed to prove that "Single-world interpretations of quantum theory cannot be self-consistent". This is contradicted by a construction due to Bell, inspired by Bohmian mechanics, which shows that any…

Quantum theory in its conventional formulation is notoriously subject to various measurement-related paradoxes, as exemplified by the "Schrodinger's Cat" and "Wigner's Friend" thought experiments. It has been shown, for example by…

In three papers Colbeck and Renner (Nature Communications 2:411, (2011); Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 150402 (2012); arXiv:1208.4123) argued that "no alternative theory compatible with quantum theory and satisfying the freedom of choice assumption…

Quantum mechanics has been subject to logical scrutiny since its inception. The behavior of quantum systems, which are fundamentally dissimilar from classical systems, often appears to point to a logical inconsistency in quantum mechanics,…

We analyze the question whether or not quantum theory should be used to describe single particles. Our final result is that a rational basis for such an 'individuality interpretation' does not exist. A critical examination of three…

Following Frauchiger and Renner's discovery of a conflict between quantum mechanics and certain commonsense reasoning axioms, much work has gone into finding alternative axiomatizations that can avoid the conflict. However, this body of…

A recent no-go theorem (Frauchiger and Renner, 2018) establishes a contradiction from a specific application of quantum theory to a multi-agent setting. The proof of this theorem relies heavily on notions such as 'knows' or `is certain…

This essay is a response to the (March 2000) Physics Today Opinion article "Quantum Theory Needs No Interpretation" by Fuchs and Peres. It was written several years ago and has been collecting electronic dust ever since Physics Today said…

Constructivist epistemology posits that all truths are knowable. One might ask to what extent constructivism is compatible with naturalized epistemology and knowledge obtained from inference-making using successful scientific theories. If…

In the year 2000, in a paper titled Quantum Theory Needs No 'Interpretation', Chris Fuchs and Asher Peres presented a series of instrumentalist arguments against the role played by 'interpretations' in QM. Since then --quite regardless of…

A recent Comment [arXiv:0811.2790] on the Letter 'Quantum Bounce and Cosmic Recall' by the authors is shown to arise from an incorrect understanding of the issues at hand and of our analysis. The conclusions of Bojowald's Comment are shown…

The argument used, in a recent letter to Nature (Nature 130 vol 404, 2000) to arrive at the `quantum-no-deleting principle' is erroneous. It is pointed out here that there may not be anything like such a principle. In any case, the claims…

Quantum mechanics is one of our most successful physical theories; its predictions agree with experimental observations to an extremely high accuracy. However, the bare formalism of quantum theory does not provide straightforward answers to…

Which theories lead to a contradiction between simple reasoning principles and modelling observers' memories as physical systems? Frauchiger and Renner have shown that this is the case for quantum theory, with a thought experiment that…