2022/09/08 by Nick Ormrod, Ormrod, Nick, Jonathan Barrett +1
Arts and Humanities · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection #FOS: Physical sciences #Philosophy and History of Science #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2209.03940
openalex publication_date 2022/09/08 · openalex created_date 2022/09/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This paper builds on no-go theorems to the effect that quantum theory is inconsistent with observations being absolute; that is, unique and non-relative. Unlike the existing no-go results, the one introduced here is based on a theory-independent absoluteness assumption, and there is no need to assume the validity of standard probability theory or of modal logic. The contradiction is derived by assuming that quantum theory applies in any inertial reference frame; accordingly, the result also illuminates a tension between special relativity and absoluteness.