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Full-Text Articles in Quantum Physics
Completely Top–Down Hierarchical Structure In Quantum Mechanics, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Jeff Tollaksen
Completely Top–Down Hierarchical Structure In Quantum Mechanics, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Jeff Tollaksen
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Can a large system be fully characterized using its subsystems via inductive reasoning? Is it possible to completely reduce the behavior of a complex system to the behavior of its simplest “atoms”? In this paper we answer these questions in the negative for a specific class of systems and measurements. After a general introduction of the topic, we present the main idea with a simple two-particle example, where strong correlations arise between two apparently empty boxes. This leads to surprising effects within atomic and electromagnetic systems. A general construction based on preand postselected ensembles is then suggested, wherein the Nbody …