Locality and Bell's Theorem

Physics Letters A, 1986

A straightforward derivarion of the Bell inequalities is given. without in any way appealing to locality. This demonstrates the incompatibility of both local and nonlocal hidden variables theories with quantum mechanics, and the irrelevance of the Bell inequalrties to the problem of (non)locality in such theories.

2012

Starting from the late 60’s many experiments have been performed to verify the violation Bell’s inequality by Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) type correlations. The idea of these experiments being that: (i) Bell’s inequality is a consequence of locality, hence its experimental violation is an indication of non locality; (ii) this violation is a typical quantum phenomenon because any classical system making local choices (either deterministic or random) will produce correlations satisfying this inequality. Both statements (i) and (ii) have been criticized by quantum probability on theoretical grounds (not discussed in the present paper) and the experiment discussed below has been devised to support these theoretical arguments. We emphasize that the goal of our experiment is not to reproduce classically the EPR correlations but to prove that there exist perfectly local classical dynamical systems violating Bell’s inequality. The conclusions of the present experiment are: (I) no contradi...

2000

Starting from the late 60’s many experiments have been performed to verify the violation Bell’s inequality by Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) type correlations. The idea of these experiments being that: (i) Bell’s inequality is a consequence of locality, hence its experimental violation is an indication of non locality; (ii) this violation is a typical quantum phenomenon because any classical system making local choices (either deterministic or random) will produce correlations satisfying this inequality. Both statements (i) and (ii) have been criticized by quantum probability on theoretical grounds (not discussed in the present paper) and the experiment discussed below has been devised to support these theoretical arguments. We emphasize that the goal of our experiment is not to reproduce classically the EPR correlations but to prove that there exist perfectly local classical dynamical systems violating Bell’s inequality. The conclusions of the present experiment are: (I) no contrad...

Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 2014

Bell's theorem is 50 years old. Still there is a controversy about its implications. Much of it has its roots in confusion regarding the premises from which the theorem can be derived. Some claim that a derivation of Bell's inequalities requires just locality assumption, and nothing more. Violations of the inequalities are then interpreted as "nonlocality" or "quantum nonlocality". We show that such claims are unfounded and that every derivation of Bell's inequalities requires a premise-in addition to locality and freedom of choice-which is either assumed tacitly, or unconsciously, or is embedded in a single compound condition (like Bell's "local causality"). The premise is equivalent to the assumption of existence of additional variables which do not appear in the quantum formalism (in form of determinism, or joint probability for outcomes of all conceivable measurements, or "additional causes'", or "hidden variables", "complete description of the state" or counterfactual definiteness, etc.). A certain irony is that perhaps the main message of violation of Bell's inequalities is that our notion of locality should be based on an operationally well-defined no-signalling condition, rather than on local causality.

Locality and realism are two main assumptions in deriving Bell's inequalities. Though the experimentally demonstrated violations of Bell's inequalities rule out local realism, it is, however, not clear what role each of the two assumptions solely plays in the observed violations. Here we show that two testable inequalities for the statistical predictions of two-qubit systems can be derived by assuming either locality or realism. It turns out that quantum mechanics respects a nonlocal classical realism, and it is locality that is incompatible with experimental observations and quantum mechanics.

Foundations of Physics, 1984

Local operators are characterized mathematically by means of projection operators on the Banach space of bounded operators. The idea of microlocality, as opposed to macrolocality, is implemented into the theory so as to enable us to define operations that are strictly local. Necessary and sufficient conditions are investigated in order that the interaction of a local measurement instrument with a local quantum field is such a strictly local (or microlocal) operation. Application of the theory to quantum electrodynamics reveals that this theory violates microlocality as defined here. Implications which our theory may have on the issue of quantum nonlocality as studied in relation to the Bell inequalities are discussed.

2012

It is widely accepted that the violation of Bell inequalities excludes local theories of the quantum realm. This paper presents a new derivation of the inequalities from non-trivial non-local theories and formulates a stronger Bell argument excluding also these non-local theories. Taking into account all possible theories, the conclusion of this stronger argument provably is the strongest possible consequence from the violation of Bell inequalities on a qualitative probabilistic level (given usual background assumptions). Among the forbidden theories is a subset of outcome dependent theories showing that outcome dependence is not sufficient for explaining a violation of Bell inequalities. Non-local theories which can violate Bell inequalities (among them quantum theory) are rather characterised by the fact that at least one of the measurement outcomes in some sense (which is made precise) probabilistically depends both on its local as well as on its distant measurement setting ('parameter'). When Bell inequalities are found to be violated, the true choice is not 'outcome dependence or parameter dependence' but between two kinds of parameter dependences, one of them being what is usually called 'parameter dependence'. Against the received view established by Jarrett and Shimony that on a probabilistic level quantum non-locality amounts to outcome dependence, this result confirms and makes precise Maudlin's claim that some kind of parameter dependence is required.

Combining twenty-six original essays written by an impressive line-up of distinguished physicists and philosophers of physics, this anthology reflects some of the latest thoughts by leading experts on the influence of Bell's theorem on quantum physics. Essays progress from John Bell's character and background, through studies of his main work, and on to more speculative ideas, addressing the controversies surrounding the theorem, and investigating the theorem's meaning and its deep implications for the nature of physical reality. Combined, they present a powerful comment on the undeniable significance of Bell's theorem for the development of ideas in quantum physics over the past 50 years. Questions surrounding the assumptions and significance of Bell's work still inspire discussion in the field of quantum physics. Adding to this with a theoretical and philosophical perspective, this balanced anthology is an indispensable volume for students and researchers interested in the philosophy of physics and the foundations of quantum mechanics.

The purposes of the present article are: a) To show that non-locality leads to the transfer of certain amounts of energy and angular momentum at very long distances, in an absolutely strange and unnatural manner, in any model reproducing the quantum mechanical results. b) To prove that non-locality is the result only of the zero spin state assumption for distant particles, which explains its presence in any quantum mechanical model. c) To reintroduce locality, simply by denying the existence of the zero spin state in nature (the so-called highly correlated, or EPR singlet state) for particles non-interacting with any known field. d) To propose a realizable experiment to clarify if two remote (and thus non-interacting with a known field) particles, supposed to be correlated as in Bell-type experiments, are actually in zero spin state.

Il Nuovo Cimento B, 1978