On the mathematical foundations of mutually unbiased bases

Abstract

In order to describe the right setting to handle Zauner's conjecture on mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) (saying that in $\mathbb{C}^d$, a set of MUBs of the theoretical maximal size $d + 1$ exists only if $d$ is a prime power), we pose some fundamental questions which naturally arise. Some of these questions have important consequences for the construction theory of (new) sets of maximal MUBs.