Benjamin Schumacher, Physics Department, Kenyon College

Topic: "Almost Quantum Mechanics"  (Video)

ABSTRACT: Modal quantum theory is a discrete model that is similar in structure to ordinary quantum theory, but based on a finite field instead of complex amplitudes. The interpretation of this theory involves only the "modal" concepts of possibility and impossibility rather than quantitative probabilities. Despite its very simple structure, our toy model nevertheless includes many of the key features of actual quantum physics: interference, complementarity, entanglement, teleportation, the impossibility of cloning, nonclassical models of computation, and more.