14 March 2016, AUC Logic Lectures, Sonja Smets

Abstract: In this presentation I address the old question on whether a logical understanding of Quantum Mechanics requires abandoning some of the principles of classical logic. My answer to this question is "no". The argument is based on insights from the recently-developed setting of Dynamic Quantum Logic in which we can explicitly refer to the operational meaning of quantum-mechanical concepts. I use this setting to show that the correct interpretation of quantum-logical connectives is dynamical, rather than purely propositional. This allows me to argue for the fact that there is no contradiction between classical logic and (the dynamic reinterpretation of) quantum logic. Overall, in this talk I show how logic can handle informational processes such as observations and measurements of quantum systems and I highlight the basic logical principles that are needed to reason about quantum physical processes.

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