Logical structures arising in quantum theory

Simon Kochen

E. P. Specker

pp. 263-276

in: Clifford A. Hooker (ed), The logico-algebraic approach to quantum mechanics I, Berlin, Springer, 1975

Abstract

The logical structures studied in this paper are generalizations of the propositional calculus. The classical propositional calculus is essentially Boolean algebra or, alternatively, the theory of functions on an arbitrary set S with values in a two-element set. The generalization consists in allowing partial functions on the set S, i.e., functions defined on certain subsets of S, and defining an equivalence relation among these functions such that any two constant functions with the same constant value belong to the same equivalence class. The generalization is equally natural for functions with values in the field of real numbers and we shall consider this case first.