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The quantum measurement problem can be regarded as the tension between the two alternative dynamics prescribed by quantum mechanics: the unitary evolution of the wave function and the state-update rule (or collapse) at the instant a measurement takes place. The notorious Wigners friend gedankenexperiment constitutes the paradoxical scenario in which different observers (one of whom is observed by the other) describe one and the same interaction differently, one --the Friend-- via state-update and the other --Wigner-- unitarily. This can lead to Wigner and his friend assigning different probabilities to the outcome of the same subsequent measurement. In this paper, we apply the Page-Wootters mechanism (PWM) as a timeless description of Wigners friend-like scenarios. We show that the standard rules to assign two-time conditional probabilities within the PWM need to be modified to deal with the Wigners friend gedankenexperiment. We identify three main definitions of such modified rules to assign two-time conditional probabilities, all of which reduce to standard quantum theory for non-Wigners friend scenarios. However, when applied to the Wigners friend setup each rule assigns different conditional probabilities, potentially resolving the probability-assignment paradox in a different manner. Moreover, one rule imposes strict limits on when a joint probability distribution for the measurement outcomes of Wigner and his Friend is well-defined, which single out those cases where Wigners measurement does not disturb the Friends memory and such a probability has an operational meaning in terms of collectible statistics. Interestingly, the same limits guarantee that said measurement outcomes fulfill the consistency condition of the consistent histories framework.
The measurement problem is seen as an ambiguity of quantum mechanics, or, beyond that, as a contradiction within the theory: Quantum mechanics offers two conflicting descriptions of the Wigners-friend experiment. As we argue in this note there are, h
In a joint paper Jeff Bub and Itamar Pitowski argued that the quantum state represents `the credence function of a rational agent [...] who is updating probabilities on the basis of events that occur. In the famous thought experiment designed by Wign
Wigners friend thought experiment is intended to reveal the inherent tension between unitary evolution and measurement collapse. On the basis of Wigners friend experiment, Brukner derives a no-go theorem for observer-independent facts. We construct a
Wigners gedankenexperiment is often taken as requiring a reassessment of the notion of objective reality. In this note however we present a classical toy model in which (i) The relevant quantum mechanical predictions of Wigners thought experiment are
The Wigners friend paradox concerns one of the most puzzling problems of quantum mechanics: the consistent description of multiple nested observers. Recently, a variation of Wigners gedankenexperiment, introduced by Frauchiger and Renner, has lead to