Operational Axioms for Quantum Mechanics
- QUIT Group, Dipartimento di Fisica 'A. Volta', via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia (Italy)
The mathematical formulation of Quantum Mechanics in terms of complex Hilbert space is derived for finite dimensions, starting from a general definition of physical experiment and from five simple Postulates concerning experimental accessibility and simplicity. For the infinite dimensional case, on the other hand, a C*-algebra representation of physical transformations is derived, starting from just four of the five Postulates via a Gelfand-Naimark-Segal (GNS) construction. The present paper simplifies and sharpens the previous derivation in Ref. [1]. The main ingredient of the axiomatization is the postulated existence of faithful states that allows one to calibrate the experimental apparatus. Such notion is at the basis of the operational definitions of the scalar product and of the transposed of a physical transformation. What is new in the present paper with respect to Ref. [1], is the operational deduction of an involution corresponding to the complex-conjugation for effects, whose extension to transformations allows to define the adjoint of a transformation when the extension is composition-preserving. The existence of such composition-preserving extension among possible extensions is analyzed.
- OSTI ID:
- 21054922
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 889, Issue 1; Conference: 4. international conference on foundations of probability and physics, Vaexjoe (Sweden), 4-9 Jun 2006; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2713449; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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