A note on information theoretic characterizations of physical theories

Halvorson, Hans (2003) A note on information theoretic characterizations of physical theories.

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Abstract

Clifton, Bub, and Halvorson [Foundations of Physics 33, 1561 (2003)] have recently argued that quantum theory is characterized by its satisfaction of three information-theoretic axioms. However, it is not difficult to construct apparent counterexamples to the CBH characterization theorem. In this paper, we discuss the limits of the characterization theorem, and we provide some technical tools for checking whether a theory (specified in terms of the convex structure of its state space) falls within these limits.

Keywords:algebraic quantum theory, quantum information theory, bit commitment, cloning
Subjects:Specific Sciences: Physics: Quantum Mechanics
ID Code:1520
Deposited By:Halvorson, Hans
Deposited On:16 December 2003

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