Building with quantum correlations

Abstract‘Correlations without correlata’ is an influential way of thinking of quantum entanglement as a form primitive correlation which nonetheless maintains locality of quantum theory. A number of arguments have sought to suggest that such a view leads either to internal inconsistency or to conflict with the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. Here we explicate and provide a partial defence of the notion, arguing that these objections import unwarranted conceptions of correlation properties as hidden variables. A more plausible account sees the properties in terms of Everettian relative states. The ontological robustness of entanglement is also defended from recent objections.

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