Physical limits on self-replication processes

Abstract

Using few very general axioms which should be satisfied by any reasonable theory consistent with general physical principles and some more recent results concerning "broadcasting" of quantum states we show that: a) only classical information can self-replicate perfectly, b) "parent" and "offspring" must be strongly correlated, c) "separation of species" is possible only in a non-homogeneous environment. To illustrate the existence of theoretical schemes which possess both classical and quantum features, we present a model based on the classical probability but with overlapping pure states and "entangled states" for composite systems.