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Addendum to ‘On the Nonreality of the PBR Theorem’: Disproof by Generic Counterexample

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Abstract

The PBR theorem is widely seen as one of the most important no-go theorems in the foundations of quantum mechanics. Recently, in Cabbolet (Found Phys 53(3):64, 2023), it has been argued that there is no reality to the PBR theorem using a pair of bolts as a counterexample. In this addendum we expand on the argument: we disprove the PBR theorem by a generic counterexample, and we put the finger on the precise spot where Pusey, Barrett, and Rudolph have made a tacit assumption that is false.

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Fig. 1

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M.C. wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Marcoen J. T. F. Cabbolet.

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Cabbolet, M.J.T.F. Addendum to ‘On the Nonreality of the PBR Theorem’: Disproof by Generic Counterexample. Found Phys 54, 48 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-024-00780-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-024-00780-8

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