Specker's fundamental principle of quantum mechanics

TL;DR

The paper highlights that recent principles in quantum mechanics are actually variations of Ernst Specker's long-standing fundamental principle, which relates to the ability to answer multiple questions based on partial answers, and discusses its significance for quantum contextuality.

Contribution

It clarifies the connection between recent principles and Specker's original idea, emphasizing its potential fundamental role in understanding quantum contextuality.

Findings

Recent principles are versions of Specker's principle

Specker's principle may explain quantum contextuality

Historical overview of Specker's contributions

Abstract

I draw attention to the fact that three recently proposed physical principles, namely "local orthogonality", "global exclusive disjunction", and "compatible orthogonality" are not new principles, but different versions of a principle that Ernst Specker noticed long ago. I include a video of Specker stating this principle in 2009 in the following terms: "Do you know what, according to me, is the fundamental theorem of quantum mechanics? (...) That is, if you have several questions and you can answer any two of them, then you can also answer all of them". I overview some results that suggest that Specker's principle may be of fundamental importance for explaining quantum contextuality. Specker passed away in December 10, 2011, at the age of 91.