2013/01/31 by B. E. Y. Svensson, Bengt E Y Svensson
Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Axiom #Eigenvalues and eigenvectors #Epistemology #Geometry #Interpretation (philosophy) #Interpretations of quantum mechanics #Mathematics #Observable #Operator (biology) #Philosophy #Physics #Property (philosophy) #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum dynamics #Quantum mechanics #Quantum process #Statistics #Theoretical physics #Value (mathematics) #Weak measurement #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10701-013-9740-6
published as Found. Phys. 43 1193 (2013)
arxiv created 2013/05/21 · openalex publication_date 2013/09/04 · arxiv updated 2015/06/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
A so called “weak value” of an observable in quantum mechanics (QM) may be obtained in a weak measurement + post-selection procedure on the QM system under study. Applied to number operators, it has been invoked in revisiting some QM paradoxes ( e.g. , the so called Three-Box Paradox and Hardy’s Paradox). This requires the weak value to be interpreted as a bona fide property of the system considered, a par with entities like operator mean values and eigenvalues. I question such an interpretation; it has no support in the basic axioms of quantum mechanics and it leads to unreasonable results in concrete situations.