Not throwing out the baby with the bathwater: Bell's condition of local causality mathematically 'sharp and clean'

TL;DR

This paper refines Bell's formalization of local causality by addressing overlooked aspects of sufficiency, completeness, and the roles of settings and outcomes, resulting in a more precise mathematical expression.

Contribution

It provides a more detailed and accurate formalization of Bell's local causality by incorporating critical conceptual distinctions previously neglected.

Findings

Enhanced mathematical formalization of local causality

Clarification of the roles of settings and outcomes in theories

Identification of where locality and causality are formalized

Abstract

The starting point of the present paper is Bell's notion of local causality and his own sharpening of it so as to provide for mathematical formalisation. Starting with Norsen's (2007, 2009) analysis of this formalisation, it is subjected to a critique that reveals two crucial aspects that have so far not been properly taken into account. These are (i) the correct understanding of the notions of sufficiency, completeness and redundancy involved; and (ii) the fact that the apparatus settings and measurement outcomes have very different theoretical roles in the candidate theories under study. Both aspects are not adequately incorporated in the standard formalisation, and we will therefore do so. The upshot of our analysis is a more detailed, sharp and clean mathematical expression of the condition of local causality. A preliminary analysis of the repercussions of our proposal shows that it is able to locate exactly where and how the notions of locality and causality are involved in formalising Bell's condition of local causality.