Quantum theory of preparation and measurement

Abstract

The conventional postulate for the probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics is asymmetric in preparation and measurement, making retrodiction reliant on inference by use of Bayes' theorem. Here, a more fundamental symmetric postulate is presented, from which both predictive and retrodictive probabilities emerge immediately, even where measurement devices more general than those usually considered are involved. It is shown that the new postulate is perfectly consistent with the conventional postulate.