Limits to Quantum Mechanics as a Source of Magic Tricks: Retrodiction and the Bell-Kochen-Specker Theorem

N. David Mermin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 831 – Published 6 February 1995
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Abstract

A trick discovered by Vaidman, Aharanov, and Albert permitting retrodiction of the outcomes of more measurements than one would naively have thought possible is extended to a case in which the retrodicted observables are forbidden all to have values by a Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem. A rather peculiar analysis shows that an even better trick that retrodicts the outcomes of more informative measurements of these same observables is impossible.

  • Received 15 September 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.831

©1995 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

N. David Mermin

  • Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-2501

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Issue

Vol. 74, Iss. 6 — 6 February 1995

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