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Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?

Albert Einstein , Boris Podolsky , Nathan Rosen · Physical Review , 1935

Introduced "spooky action at a distance" — a challenge to quantum completeness.

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Abstract

In a complete theory there is an element corresponding to each element of reality. A sufficient condition for the reality of a physical quantity is the possibility of predicting it with certainty, without disturbing the system. In quantum mechanics in the case of two physical quantities described by non-commuting operators, the knowledge of one precludes the knowledge of the other.

Citation

@article{einstein1935epr,
  title = {Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?},
  author = {Einstein, Albert and Podolsky, Boris and Rosen, Nathan},
  journal = {Physical Review},
  volume = {47},
  number = {10},
  pages = {777--780},
  year = {1935},
  doi = {10.1103/PhysRev.47.777}
}