Related papers: Observables II : Quantum Observables
In this work we discuss the notion of observable - both quantum and classical - from a new point of view. In classical mechanics, an observable is represented as a function (measurable, continuous or smooth), whereas in (von Neumann's…
In the second part of our work on observables we have shown that quantum observables in the sense of von Neumann, i.e.bounded selfadjoint operators in some von Neumann subalgebra $R$ of $L(H)$, can be represented as bounded continuous…
We discuss the distinction between the notion of partial observable and the notion of complete observable. Mixing up the two is frequently a source of confusion. The distinction bears on several issues related to observability, such as (i)…
Observables of a quantum system, described by self-adjoint operators in a von Neumann algebra or affiliated with it in the unbounded case, form a conditionally complete lattice when equipped with the spectral order. Using this…
Observables have a dual nature in both classical and quantum kinematics: they are at the same time \emph{quantities}, allowing to separate states by means of their numerical values, and \emph{generators of transformations}, establishing…
In this paper we continue the study, started in [1], of the operatorial formulation of classical mechanics given by Koopman and von Neumann (KvN) in the Thirties. In particular we show that the introduction of the KvN Hilbert space of…
Founding our analysis on the Geneva-Brussels approach to the foundations of physics, we provide a clarification and classification of the key concept of observation. An entity can be observed with or without a scope. In the second case, the…
Antonymous functions are real-valued functions on the Stone spectrum of a von Neumann algebra R. They correspond to the self-adjoint operators in R, which are interpreted as observables in quantum physics. Antonymous functions turn out to…
We are focused on the idea that observables in quantum physics are a bit more than just hermitian operators and that this is, in general, a "tricky business". The origin of this idea comes from the fact that there is a subtle difference…
In "Self-adjoint Operators as Functions I: Lattices, Galois Connections, and the Spectral Order" [arXiv:1208.4724], it was shown that self-adjoint operators affiliated with a von Neumann algebra N can equivalently be described as certain…
The purpose of the paper is to study the foundations of the main axioms of Quantum Mechanics. From a general study of the mathematical properties of the models used in Physics to represent systems, we prove that the states of a system can…
Observables in quantum mechanics are represented by self-adjoint operators on Hilbert space. Such ubiquitous, well-known, and very foundational fact, however, is traditionally subtle to be explained in typical first classes in quantum…
The basic notions of quantum mechanics are formulated in terms of separable infinite dimensional Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. In terms of the Hilbert lattice $\mathcal{L}$ of closed linear subspaces of $\mathcal{H}$ the notions of state and…
We introduce the concept of a "classical observable" as an operator with vanishingly small quantum fluctuations on a set of density matrices. It is shown how to construct them for a time evolved pure state. The study of classical…
Observables 'are observed' whereas beables just 'are'. This gives beables more scope in the cosmological and quantum domains. Both observables and beables are entities that form 'brackets' with 'the constraints' that are 'equal to' zero. We…
This is the extended version of a talk presented at the J.W.Goethe Universitaet Frankfurt a. M. and at the same time a preview at a forthcoming extensive publication on the same subject. It is shown that there is a common background…
A characteristical property of a classical physical theory is that the observables are real functions taking an exact outcome on every (pure) state; in a quantum theory, at the contrary, a given observable on a given state can take several…
This paper argues that non-self-adjoint operators can be observables. There are only four ways for this to occur: non-self-adjoint observables can either be normal operators, or be symmetric, or have a real spectrum, or have none of these…
Regarded as one of the most fundamental concepts of classical mechanics and thermodynamics, work has received well-grounded definitions within the quantum framework since the 1970s, having being successfully applied to many contexts. Recent…
This is an up-to-date survey of the p-mechanical construction (see funct-an/9405002, quant-ph/9610016, math-ph/0007030, quant-ph/0212101, quant-ph/0303142), which is a consistent physical theory suitable for a simultaneous description of…