IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v461y2009i7267d10.1038_nature08400.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Information causality as a physical principle

Author

Listed:
  • Marcin Pawłowski

    (Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Gdańsk)

  • Tomasz Paterek

    (National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore)

  • Dagomir Kaszlikowski

    (National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore)

  • Valerio Scarani

    (National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore)

  • Andreas Winter

    (National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore
    University of Bristol)

  • Marek Żukowski

    (Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Gdańsk)

Abstract

Information causality A broad class of theories exist which share the distinguishing characteristics of quantum mechanics, but allow even stronger correlations. Therefore a criterion that could be used to distinguish physical theories from non-physical ones would be of considerable value. The principle of 'information causality', introduced here by Marcin Pawłowski et al., may provide just this. The principle states that communication of m classical bits causes information gain of at most m bits. The authors show that it is respected by classical and quantum physics, but violated by other models that resemble quantum mechanics but with stronger correlations. The principle is a generalization of the no-signalling condition (information cannot be transmitted faster than light) and may be a foundational property of nature.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Pawłowski & Tomasz Paterek & Dagomir Kaszlikowski & Valerio Scarani & Andreas Winter & Marek Żukowski, 2009. "Information causality as a physical principle," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7267), pages 1101-1104, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:461:y:2009:i:7267:d:10.1038_nature08400
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08400
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08400
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature08400?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:461:y:2009:i:7267:d:10.1038_nature08400. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.