Abstract
An apparent paradox proposed by Aharonov and Vaidman in which a single particle can be found with certainty in two (or more) boxes is analyzed by way of a simple thought experiment. It is found that the apparent paradox arises from an invalid counterfactual usage of the Aharonov-Bergmann-Lebowitz (ABL) rule and effectively attributes conflicting properties not to the same particle but no different particles. A connection is made between the present analysis and the consistent histories formulation of Griffiths. Finally, a critique is given of some recent counterarguments by Vaidman against the rejection of the counterfactual usage of the ABL rule.
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Kastner, R.E. The Three-Box “Paradox” and Other Reasons to Reject the Counterfactual Usage of the ABL Rule. Foundations of Physics 29, 851–863 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018865010735
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018865010735