In his search for the ‘essence’ of continuity, Richard Dedekind (1872) discovered the notion of cut. Epistemologically speaking, a cut produces a separation of a simply infinite system into two parts (Stücke) such that all the elements of one part are screened off all the elements of the other. The distinct continuity of a two-state quantum system is encapsulated in the notion of qubit, the basic ‘unit’ of quantum information. A qubit secures an infinite amount of information, which, however, appears to be only penetrable through ‘sections’ of classical bits. Whereas Dedekind’s cuts dwell on the discrete of number theory, the theory of nature is primarily concerned with continuous transformations. In contrast with Dedekind’s line of thought, could the notion of information be derived from a ‘principle’ of continuity?

Cuts, Qubits, and Information / Lupacchini, Rossella. - ELETTRONICO. - 1:3(2017), pp. 199-203. (Intervento presentato al convegno THEORETICAL INFORMATION STUDIES tenutosi a Gothenburg nel 12-16 June 2017) [10.3390/IS4SI-2017-04041].

Cuts, Qubits, and Information

LUPACCHINI, ROSSELLA
2017

Abstract

In his search for the ‘essence’ of continuity, Richard Dedekind (1872) discovered the notion of cut. Epistemologically speaking, a cut produces a separation of a simply infinite system into two parts (Stücke) such that all the elements of one part are screened off all the elements of the other. The distinct continuity of a two-state quantum system is encapsulated in the notion of qubit, the basic ‘unit’ of quantum information. A qubit secures an infinite amount of information, which, however, appears to be only penetrable through ‘sections’ of classical bits. Whereas Dedekind’s cuts dwell on the discrete of number theory, the theory of nature is primarily concerned with continuous transformations. In contrast with Dedekind’s line of thought, could the notion of information be derived from a ‘principle’ of continuity?
2017
Proceedings
199
203
Cuts, Qubits, and Information / Lupacchini, Rossella. - ELETTRONICO. - 1:3(2017), pp. 199-203. (Intervento presentato al convegno THEORETICAL INFORMATION STUDIES tenutosi a Gothenburg nel 12-16 June 2017) [10.3390/IS4SI-2017-04041].
Lupacchini, Rossella
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/608380
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