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Is a time symmetric interpretation of quantum theory possible without retrocausality?

Leifer, Matthew and Pusey, Matthew (2016) Is a time symmetric interpretation of quantum theory possible without retrocausality? In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

Huw Price has proposed an argument that suggests a time-symmetric ontology for quantum theory must necessarily be retrocausal, i.e. it must involve influences that travel backwards in time. One of Price's assumptions is that the quantum state is a state of reality. However, one of the reasons for exploring retrocausality is that it offers the potential for evading the consequences of no-go theorems, including recent proofs of the reality of the quantum state. Here, we show that this assumption can be replaced by a different assumption, called lambda-mediation, that plausibly holds independently of the status of the quantum state. We also reformulate the other assumptions behind the argument to place them in a more general framework and pin down the notion of time symmetry involved more precisely. We show that our assumptions imply a timelike analogue of Bell's local causality criterion and, in doing so, give a new interpretation of timelike violations of Bell inequalities. Namely, they show the impossibility of a (non-retrocausal) time-symmetric ontology.


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Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Leifer, Matthewleifer@chapman.edu
Pusey, Matthewmpusey@perimeterinstitute.ca
Keywords: quantum theory, retrocausality, Bell's theorem, local causality
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Dr. Matthew Leifer
Date Deposited: 27 Jul 2016 19:03
Last Modified: 27 Jul 2016 19:03
Item ID: 12310
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: 26 July 2016
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12310

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