Quantum theory cannot consistently describe the use of itself

2016/04/25 by Dustin Lazarovici, Daniela Frauchiger, Renato Renner +1 · 6 voices · 335 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Chaos, Complexity, and Education #Complex Systems and Dynamics #Domain (mathematical analysis) #Open quantum system #Outcome (game theory) #Quantum #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum information #Quantum probability #Quantum process #Relationship between string theory and quantum field theory #physics.hist-ph #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05739-8

published in Nature Communications 9(1), 3711 (Nature Portfolio) · Comment on Frauchiger, D. & Renner, R. Quantum theory cannot consistently describe the use of itself. Nat. Commun. 9, 3711, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05739-8 (2018)

openalex publication_date 2018/09/07 · arxiv created 2018/11/06 · arxiv updated 2018/11/14 · openalex created_date 2019/03/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

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 propose a Gedankenexperiment to investigate the question whether quantum theory can, in principle, have universal validity. The idea is that, if the answer was yes, it must be possible to employ quantum theory to model complex systems that include agents who are themselves using quantum theory. Analysing the experiment under this presumption, we find that one agent, upon observing a particular measurement outcome, must conclude that another agent has predicted the opposite outcome with certainty. The agents' conclusions, although all derived within quantum theory, are thus inconsistent. This indicates that quantum theory cannot be extrapolated to complex systems, at least not in a straightforward manner.

Citations

• An introduction to QBism with an application to the locality of quantum mechanics
• Relational quantum mechanics
• Interpreting the many worlds interpretation
• On Gravity's role in Quantum State Reduction
• The thermodynamics of computation—a review

Cited by

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• Intelligent qubits
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• What does it take to solve the measurement problem?
• Relative Information, Relative Facts
• Accessibility of Global Properties from Internal Quantum Reference Frame Perspectives
• A one-world interpretation of quantum mechanics
• A Postquantum Theory of Classical Gravity?
• Counterfactual Local Friendliness: An epsilon-Bounded Interaction-Free Paradox and a Disturbance-Robust Three-Box Inequality
• Intersubjective Agreement about Quantum States Is Unnecessary in QBism
• Emergence of Classicality in Wigner's Friend Scenarios
• Are Events Absolute?
• Quantum observers can communicate across multiverse branches
• Wigner's friend's black hole adventure: an argument for complementarity?
• Phenomenological quantum mechanics II: deducing the formalism from experimental observations
• Copenhagenish interpretations of quantum mechanics
• Events and their Localisation are Relative to a Lab
• A no-go theorem for observer-independent facts
• Wigner's Friend Paradox Revisited
• To the rescue of Copenhagen interpretation
• Experimental evidence for the physical delocalization of individual photons in an interferometer
• The Informational Observer in Relational Quantum Mechanics
• Testing quantum theory with thought experiments
• Wigner's Friend as a Circuit: Inter-Branch Communication Witness Benchmarks on Superconducting Quantum Hardware
• The Montevideo Interpretation: How the inclusion of a Quantum Gravitational Notion of Time Solves the Measurement Problem
• A change of perspective: switching quantum reference frames via a perspective-neutral framework
• Wigner's friends, tunnelling times and Feynman's "only mystery of quantum mechanics"
• Multi-stage Stern-Gerlach experiment modeled (with additional appendices)
• Towards a Generalized Theory of Observers
• No Relation for Wigner’s Friend
• Wigner’s Friend Scenarios and the Internal Consistency of Standard Quantum Mechanics
• Switching Quantum Reference Frames for Quantum Measurement
• Physics and Metaphysics of Wigner’s Friends: Even Performed Premeasurements Have No Results
• Mind Before Matter: Reversing the Arrow of Fundamentality
• Towards a quantum-like cognitive architecture for decision-making
• The firewall paradox is Wigner's friend paradox

Discussions

• Quantum theory cannot consistently describe the use of itself (2018) [hn, 21 points, 2 comments]
• The many worlds interpretation (MWI) is what you get if you take the equations of motion of quantum theory seriously as a description of how the world actually works and work out their implications as [stackexchange, 7 points]
• Single-world interpretations of quantum theory cannot be self-consistent [hn, 4 points, 0 comments]
• Single-world interpretations of quantum theory cannot be self-consistent [hn, 2 points, 0 comments]
• Single-world interpretations of quantum theory cannot be self-consistent [hn, 1 points, 0 comments]
• Is that uncertainty in your pocket or are you just happy to be here? [lemmy, 1 points, 1 comments]

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