A note on information theoretic characterizations of physical theories

Abstract

Clifton, Bub, and Halvorson [Foundations of Physics 33, 1561 (2003)] have recently argued that quantum theory is characterized by its satisfaction of three information-theoretic axioms. However, it is not difficult to construct apparent counterexamples to the CBH characterization theorem. In this paper, we discuss the limits of the characterization theorem, and we provide some technical tools for checking whether a theory (specified in terms of the convex structure of its state space) falls within these limits.

16 pages, LaTeX, Contribution to Rob Clifton memorial conference

References in corpus (3)

• Quantum cryptography: Public key distribution and coin tossing
• Characterizing quantum theory in terms of information-theoretic constraints
• Can Quantum Cryptography Imply Quantum Mechanics?

Cited by in corpus (6)

• In defense of the epistemic view of quantum states: a toy theory
• Quantum mechanics is about quantum information
• Nonclassicality without entanglement enables bit commitment
• The Operational Choi-Jamiolkowski Isomorphism
• Entanglement, intractability and no-signaling
• Explanations from contemporary quantum theories: some ontological characteristics