I Why Does Equation (5) in Bell's Paper Use < σ⋅a > = 1 - 2θ'/π?

  • I
  • Thread starter Thread starter quiteconfused
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Paper
quiteconfused
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
TL;DR Summary
Specifically, the demonstration of a single-particle hidden variable
Hello! I am trying to understand Bell's Inequality and although I can follow the arguments of the inequality as are mentioned in modern texts, something was always bothering me. In section III (Illustration) of the original paper, equation (5) states:

< σ⋅a > = 1 - 2θ'/π​

But for the life of me, I don't know why, and I am not sure how to assemble this by hand, it seems like everywhere I find similar values there's just a "well, obviously this gives: " followed by the above. Trying to put together the integral has me wondering if B(b,λ) is just to be taken as 1? Maybe it's been too long since I did any calculus...
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You don't need to do any calculus. You're averaging ##\text{sign} \, \boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}'## over vectors ##\boldsymbol{\lambda}## that satisfy ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{p} > 0## for some given vectors ##\boldsymbol{a}'## and ##\boldsymbol{p}##. ##\text{sign} \, \boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}'## is ##1## if ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}' > 0## and ##-1## if ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}' < 0##. So the question is: out of all ##\boldsymbol{\lambda}##s in the hemisphere ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{p} > 0## what fraction are also in the hemisphere ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}' > 0## and what fraction are in the hemisphere ##\boldsymbol{\lambda} \cdot \boldsymbol{a}' < 0##?
 
Of course, within minutes of explaining the problem in this post I managed to figure it out randomly while traveling to the pub, imagine my surprise when I come back here to find that you told me the same thing. Thank you for confirming what I suspected - I appreciate you helping me do a sanity check!

Edit: I suppose I should find a way to change my username to "considerablylessconfused"
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
If we release an electron around a positively charged sphere, the initial state of electron is a linear combination of Hydrogen-like states. According to quantum mechanics, evolution of time would not change this initial state because the potential is time independent. However, classically we expect the electron to collide with the sphere. So, it seems that the quantum and classics predict different behaviours!
Back
Top