Abstract
According to Aage Petersen Niels Bohr liked to say: “There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how Nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.” In an analogous way, von Weizsäcker suggested that the notion of the elementary alternative, the “Ur”, should play a pivotal role when constructing physics. Both approaches suggest that the concept of information should play an essential role in the foundations of any scientific description of Nature. We show that if, in our description of Nature, we use one definite proposition per elementary constituent of Nature, some of the essential characteristics of quantum physics, such as the irreducible randomness of individual events, quantum complementary and quantum entanglement, arise in a natural way. Then quantum physics is an elementary theory of information.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
A. Aspect, P. Grangier and G. Roger: Phys. Rev. Lett 47, 460–463 (1981)
J.S. Bell: Physics 1, 195–200 (1964); reprinted: J.S. Bell: Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1987
J.S. Bell: Physics World (August 1990)
N. Bohr: In: P.A. Schillp (ed.): Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist (The Library of Living Philosophers Evanston, IL) 1949, p. 200. A copy can be found at the web site (http://www.emr.hibu.no/lars/eng/schlipp/Default.html)
N. Bohr: Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge. Wiley, New York 1958
C. Brukner and A. Zeilinger: Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3354–3357 (1999)
C. Brukner and A. Zeilinger: e-print quant-ph/0008091, 2000
C. Brukner, M. Zukowski and A. Zeilinger: e-print quant-ph/0106119, 2001
C. Brukner and A. Zeilinger: Phys. Rev. A 63, 022 113 1–10 (2001)
C. Brukner and A. Zeilinger: Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 360, 1061 (2002)
C.M. Caves, C.A. Fuchs and R. Schack: J. Math. Phys. 43, 4537 (2002)
C.M. Caves, C.A. Fuchs and R. Schack: Phys. Rev. A 022 305 (2001)
J. Clauser, M. Home, A. Shimony and R. Holt: Phys. Rev. Lett 23, 880–884 (1969)
S.J. Freedman and J.S. Clauser: Phys. Rev. Lett. 28, 938 941 (1972)
B.G. Englert: Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2154 (1996)
D.I. Fivel: Phys. Rev. A 59, 2108 (1994)
C.A. Fuchs: e-print quant-ph/0205039, 2002
C.A. Fuchs: e-print quant-ph/0106166, 2001
B.V. Gnedenko: The Theory of Probability. Mir Publishers, Moscow 1976
D.M. Greenberger, M. Home, A. Shimony and A. Zeilinger: Am. J. Phys 58, 1131–1143 (1990)
M.J.W. Hall: e-print quant-ph/0007116, 2000
G. Hardy, J.E. Littlewood and G. Pólya: Inequalities. Cambridge University Press, 1952
L. Hardy: e-print quant-ph/0101012, 2001
L. Hardy: e-print quant-ph/0111068, 2001
W. Heisenberg: Daedalus 87, 95 (1958)
R. Horodecki, P. Horodecki and M. Horodecki: Phys. Lett. A 200, 340–344 (1995)
I. Ivanovie: J. Phys. A 14, 3241 (1981)
M. Jammer: The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics. J. Wiley & Sons, New York 1974
S. Kochen and E.P. Specker: J Math. and Mech. 17, 59 (1967)
R. Landauer: Physics Today 23, May 1991
J.W. Pan, D. Bouwmeester, H. Weinfurter and A. Zeilinger: Nature 403, 515–518 (2000)
W. Pauli: In: C.P. Enz and K. von Meyenn (eds.): Writings on Philosophy and Physics. Translated by Robert Schlapp. Springer Verlag, Berlin 1994
J. Schlienz and G. Mahler: Phys. Rev. A 52, 4396–4404 (1995)
C.E. Shannon: Bell Syst. Tech. J 27, 379 (1948). A copy can be found at http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/ms/what/shannonday/paper.html
E. Schrödinger: Naturwissenschaften 23, 807–812; 823–828; 844–849 (1935). Translation published in Proc. Am. Phil. Soc 124, 323–338 and in: J.A. Wheeler and W.H. Zurek (eds.): Quantum Theory and Measurement Princeton University Press, Princeton, pp. 152–167. A copy can be found at www.emr.hibu.no/lars/eng/cat
J. Summhammer: Found. Phys. Lett 1, 123 (1988)
J. Summhammer: Int. J. Theor. Phys 33, 171 (1994)
J. Summhammer: e-print quant-ph/0008098, 2000. To appear in: C. Calude: The Third Millenium
J. Summhammer: e-print quant-ph/0102099, 2001
C.G. Timpson: e-print quant-ph/0112178, 2001
C.F. von Weizsäcker: Aufbau der Physik. Carl Hanser, München 1985
C.F. von Weizsäcker: In: L. Castell, M. Drieschner and C.F. von Weizsäcker (eds.): Quantum Theory and the Structures of Time and Space. Hanser, München 1975. Papers presented at a conference held in Feldafing, July 1974
G. Weihs, T. Jennewein, C. Simon, H. Weinfurter and A. Zeilinger: Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5039–5043 (1998)
J.A. Wheeler: Law without Law. In: J.A. Wheeler and W.H. Zurek Quantum Theory and Measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton 1983, p. 182
J.A. Wheeler: Proc. 3rdlnt. Symp. Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. 354 (1989), Tokyo
W.K. Wootters: Phys. Rev D 23, 357 (1981)
W.K. Wootters and B.D. Fields: Ann. Phys. 191, 363 (1989)
W.K. Wootters and W.H. Zurek: Phys. Rev. D 19, 473 (1979)
A. Zeilinger: Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. 1733, 2401–2404 (1997)
A. Zeilinger: Found. Phys. 29, 631–643 (1999)
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Brukner, Č., Zeilinger, A. (2003). Information and Fundamental Elements of the Structure of Quantum Theory. In: Castell, L., Ischebeck, O. (eds) Time, Quantum and Information. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-10557-3_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-10557-3_21
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-07892-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-10557-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive