Can a consistent theory beyond quantum mechanics have three-path interference? · revision history
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Accepted · first revision · record
- Title
- Can a consistent theory beyond quantum mechanics have three-path interference?
- Plain
- Quantum theory forbids interference that needs three paths at once. The question is whether any other self-consistent probabilistic theory allows it, which fixes what a positive three-slit test would mean.
- Precise
- Within generalized probabilistic theories (GPTs), determine whether a theory with nonzero third-order interference $I_3$ exists that satisfies causality, tomographic locality and a consistent composition rule with entangled states. Barnum, Lee, Scandolo and Selby (Entropy 2017, arXiv:1704.05106) showed that causality, purity preservation, pure sharpness and purification together exclude higher-order interference; the task is to find which postulates can be dropped.
- Settled by
- An explicit GPT with $I_{3} != 0$ obeying the stated postulates, or an exclusion theorem from weaker postulates.
- Kind
- well-posed
- Answer type
- yes-no
- References
- (empty)
- Literature status
- partially-resolved
- Status note
- Excluded under purity principles in 2017 (arXiv:1704.05106); which postulate must fail to allow higher-order interference is open.
- Posed since
- (empty)