No-Go Theorems in Modal Quantum TheoryConfirmed

by Ben Schumacher (Kenyon College)

Wednesday May 20, 2026, 3:30 PM → 5:00 PM America/Toronto

PI/4-405 - Bob Room (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

Modal quantum theory (MQT) is a toy model based on finite fields that lacks the probability structure of actual quantum theory (AQT).  In essence, MQT retains the principle of superposition for quantum states but not unitarity or state normalization.  Many familiar "no-go" results in AQT have analogues in MQT, including the no-cloning, no-deleting and no-broadcasting theorems.  Other results, such as the no-hiding theorem, are actually false in MQT.  This talk gives an overview of these results.