Contextuality is a fundamental notion in the foundations of quantum theory. It says that one cannot assign values to a quantum observable independently of what other observables are co-measured with it. That is, physical properties in quantum theory are contextual: they depend on other, jointly performed measurements.

In the talk I will investigate in what sense this common wisdom is tenable in quantum theory and what the general philosophical assumptions behind contextuality are.

Lecturer: Gábor Hofer-Szabó is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Philosophy of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

His main fields of research are foundations of quantum mechanics, interpretations and metaphysics of probability and causality. His last book is: G. Hofer-Szabó, M. Rédei and L. E. Szabó, The Principle of the Common Cause (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013).

Date: 9th of April 2018, at 3.00 p.m.

Venue: Bibó Auditorium – Kőszeg H-9730, Chernel st. 14.