1
$\begingroup$

I'm approaching the study of Bell's inequalities and I understood the reasoning under the Bell theorem (pdf : https://cds.cern.ch/record/111654/files/vol1p195-200_001.pdf) and how the postulate of locality was assumed at the start of demonstration.

However, I find problematic to arrive at the equivalence $$ E(\vec{a},\vec{b}) = \int_{\Lambda}d\lambda \rho(\lambda)A(\vec{a},\lambda)B(\vec{b},\lambda),$$
starting from the point of view expressed by the Clauser and Horne definition of locality.

CH claimed that a system is local if there is a parameter $\lambda$ and a joint conditional probabilities that can be written as follows: $$p(a,b|x,y,\lambda) = p(a|x,\lambda)p(b|y,\lambda),$$ and $$p(a,b|x,y) = \int_\Lambda d\lambda \rho(\lambda) p(a|x,\lambda)p(b|y,\lambda)$$ which make sense since it affirms that the probability of obtaining the value $a$ depends only on the measument $x = \vec{\sigma}\cdot\vec{x} $ and the value of $\lambda$.

However, if I use this expression to write down the expectation value of the products of the two components $\vec{\sigma}\cdot\vec{a}$ and $\vec{\sigma}\cdot\vec{b}$, I obtain as follows:

$$ E (\vec{a},\vec{b}) = \sum_{i,j}a_ib_jp(a,b|x,y) = \\ = \sum_{ij}a_ib_j \int_\Lambda d\lambda \rho(\lambda) p(a|x,\lambda)p(b|y,\lambda) \\ = \int_\Lambda d\lambda \rho(\lambda) (\sum_{i}a_ip(a|x,\lambda))(\sum_{i}b_ip(b|y,\lambda)) $$ where in the last equivalence I've used the fact that if the measument are independent their covariance must be equal to $0$.

At this point, the terms in the RHS in the brackets are equal to: $$ (\sum_{i}a_ip(a|x,\lambda)) = E(a,\lambda) =? = A(\vec{a},\lambda)\quad \quad (\sum_{i}b_ip(b|y,\lambda)) = E(b,\lambda) =?= B(\vec{b},\lambda)$$.

That is not the equivalence that I want to find.

In fact in the RHS of the first equation $A(\vec{a},\lambda)$ is, according to Bell original article, the result of measure $\vec{\sigma}\cdot\vec{a}$, and fixing both $\vec{a}$ and $\lambda$ it can assume only the values of $\pm1$. (The same is applied for $B(\vec{b},\lambda)$.)

Some of you knows, where I fail? How can I obtain the original equivalence (that then is proved to be violate in the case of an entangled system) starting from the CH definition of reality?

Edit #1:

I've noted that I obtain the wanted equivalence only if I assume that $p(ab|xy\lambda) = E(\vec{a}\vec{b})$, but is it possible? How can a conditional probabilities be linked to the mean value of the product of two components?

Edit #2:

Surfing the internet I found an article (https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.04260, page 2, right on the top) which reports the same CH's local condition (to be accurate, the article presents the discrete version) and then affirm that:

Blockquote "The central realization of Bell’s theorem is the fact that there are quantum correlations obtained by local measurements ($M_a^x$ and $M_b^y$) on distant parts of a joint entangled state $\varrho$, that according to quantum theory are described as: $$p_{Q}(a,b,|x,y) = \text{Tr}(\varrho(M_a^x\otimes M_b^y) $$ and cannot be decomposed in the LHV form (i.e. The CH condition for locality)"

So why $p_Q(a,b|x,y)$ is seen as a measure of quantum correlation (that for definition is the mean of the product of the possible output)? It isn't a joint probability distribution (as stating while obtaining the LHV form)? Is there a link between the classical correlation ($E(\vec{a},\vec{b})$) and the joint probability distribution $p(a,b|x,y,\lambda)$?


NOTE: This question has also been asked on quantumcomputing.SE.

$\endgroup$
0

1 Answer 1

2
$\begingroup$

Copied from the same answer on quantumcomputing.SE.


First of all, you inverted $a,b$ with $x,y$ when trying to draw the analogy.

In Bell's original paper, $\vec a,\vec b$ are used to denote the measurement directions, so the underlying probability distribution should be written as $$p(x,y|\vec a,\vec b,\lambda)=p(x|\vec a,\lambda)p(y|\vec b,\lambda).$$ The expectation values $A(\vec a,\lambda)$ and $B(\vec b,\lambda)$ used in Bell's paper would then be given by $$A(\vec a,\lambda)=\sum_x x p(x|\vec a,\lambda)$$ and similarly for $B$. The sum is here extended over the possible values that can correspond to the measurement choice $\vec a$. In the case of Bell's paper, this amounts to $x=\pm 1$.

To get the expectation value $E(\vec a,\vec b)$ you now simply need to take the average over the possible values of the hidden variable $\lambda$.

$\endgroup$

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.