Kybernetika 46 no. 6, 971-981, 2010

On the structure of numerical event spaces

Gerhard Dorfer, Dietmar Dorninger and Helmut Länger

Abstract:

The probability $p(s)$ of the occurrence of an event pertaining to a physical system which is observed in different states $s$ determines a function $p$ from the set $S$ of states of the system to $[0,1]$. The function $p$ is called a numerical event or multidimensional probability. When appropriately structured, sets $P$ of numerical events form so-called algebras of $S$-probabilities. Their main feature is that they are orthomodular partially ordered sets of functions $p$ with an inherent full set of states. A classical physical system can be characterized by the fact that the corresponding algebra $P$ of $S$-probabilities is a Boolean lattice. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for systems of numerical events to be a lattice and characterize those systems which are Boolean. Assuming that only a finite number of measurements is available our focus is on finite algebras of $S$-probabilties.

Keywords:

orthomodular poset, full set of states, numerical event

Classification:

06C15, 03G12, 81P16

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