Muthukrishnan, Siddharth (2023) Unpacking Black Hole Complementarity. [Preprint]

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Abstract

To what extent does the black hole information paradox lead to violations of quantum mechanics? I explain how black hole complementarity provides a framework to articulate how quantum characterizations of black holes can remain consistent despite the information paradox. I point out that there are two ways to cash out the notion of consistency in play here: an operational notion and a descriptive notion. These two ways of thinking about consistency lead to (at least) two principles of black hole complementarity: an operational principle and a descriptive principle. Our background philosophy of science regarding realism/instrumentalism might initially lead us to prefer one principle over the other. However, the recent physics literature, which applies tools from quantum information theory and quantum computational complexity theory to various thought experiments involving quantum systems in or around black holes, implies that the operational principle is successful where the descriptive principle is not. This then lets us see that for operationalists the black hole information paradox might no longer be pressing.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Muthukrishnan, Siddharth siddharth@pitt.edu 0000-0002-3335-7810
Additional Information:	Accepted at The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
Keywords:	black holes, information paradox, high-energy physics, realism-instrumentalism
Subjects:	General Issues > Operationalism/Instrumentalism Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	Dr. Siddharth Muthukrishnan
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2023 14:21
Last Modified:	28 Sep 2023 14:21
Item ID:	22594
Subjects:	General Issues > Operationalism/Instrumentalism Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	14 June 2023
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/22594

Available Versions of this Item

• Unpacking Black Hole Complementarity. (deposited 31 Jul 2022 17:48)
  • Unpacking Black Hole Complementarity. (deposited 28 Oct 2022 17:30)
    • Unpacking Black Hole Complementarity. (deposited 28 Sep 2023 14:21) [Currently Displayed]

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