Quantum theory based on real numbers can be experimentally falsified.


Journal

Nature
ISSN: 1476-4687
Titre abrégé: Nature
Pays: England
ID NLM: 0410462

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
12 2021
Historique:
received: 28 01 2021
accepted: 18 10 2021
pubmed: 17 12 2021
medline: 20 4 2022
entrez: 16 12 2021
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

Although complex numbers are essential in mathematics, they are not needed to describe physical experiments, as those are expressed in terms of probabilities, hence real numbers. Physics, however, aims to explain, rather than describe, experiments through theories. Although most theories of physics are based on real numbers, quantum theory was the first to be formulated in terms of operators acting on complex Hilbert spaces

Identifiants

pubmed: 34912122
doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04160-4
pii: 10.1038/s41586-021-04160-4
pmc: PMC8695381
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

625-629

Commentaires et corrections

Type : CommentIn

Informations de copyright

© 2021. The Author(s).

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Auteurs

Marc-Olivier Renou (MO)

ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain.

David Trillo (D)

Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

Mirjam Weilenmann (M)

Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

Thinh P Le (TP)

Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

Armin Tavakoli (A)

Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.

Nicolas Gisin (N)

Group of Applied Physics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Schaffhausen Institute of Technology-SIT, Geneva, Switzerland.

Antonio Acín (A)

ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain.
ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.

Miguel Navascués (M)

Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria. miguel.navascues@oeaw.ac.at.

Classifications MeSH