Contextuality in Random Variables - A Systematic Introduction

The mathematical essence of contextuality lies in the similarity of random variables answering the same question in different contexts: contextuality means they are less similar when considered within their respective contexts than when isolated from them. This book presents a principled way of measuring this similarity and distinguishing two forms of context-dependence: contextuality and disturbance. While applicable across a broad range of disciplines, the concept of contextuality in this book is closest to that in quantum physics, where its special forms - in the absence of disturbance - are known as Bell non-locality and Kochen-Specker contextuality. This systematic introduction requires no prior familiarity with the subject and only minimal mathematical background. Structured as a textbook, complete with exercises and solutions, it is accessible to a broad readership and suitable for teaching. It will be useful to researchers and students in quantum mechanics, philosophy of science, psychology, computer science, linguistics, and probability theory.

Sommario

1. Preliminaries; 2. Context-dependence and contextuality; 3. Random variables; 4. Systems and their couplings; 5. Contextuality I: basic properties; 6. Contextuality II: dichotomizations and criteria of contextuality; 7. Cyclic systems; 8. Consistently connected and consistified systems; 9. Hidden variable models; 10. Measures of the degree of contextuality; 11. Noncontextuality polytopes for cyclic systems; Index.

Info autore

Ehtibar N. Dzhafarov is Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, Indiana. He has published over 170 papers in psychology, mathematics, philosophy, and foundations of quantum mechanics, and he has edited six books and four special journal issues. Dzhafarov served as President of the Society for Mathematical Psychology and has received a Humboldt Research Award.

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Víctor H. Cervantes, Dzhafarov Ehtibar N., Janne V. Kujala
• Editore: Cambridge Academic
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Copertina rigida
• Pubblicazione: 28.02.2026
• EAN: 9781009671927
• ISBN: 978-1-009-67192-7
• Peso: 500 g
• Illustrazioni: Worked examples or Exercises
• Categorie: Saggistica > Psicologia, esoterismo, spiritualità, antroposofia > Psicologia: tematiche generali, opere di consultazione; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Psicologia > Tematiche generali, enciclopedie; SCIENCE / Physics / Quantum Theory, Philosophy of Science, Neurosciences, Quantum physics (quantum mechanics & quantum field theory), Quantum physics (quantum mechanics and quantum field theory), Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, Mathematical physics, Cognitive Science, Mathematical / Computational / Theoretical physics