Thermodynamic Sculpting of Quantum Foundations: An Anatomical Review of Krumm et al. (2017) in the Context of Advances in Generalized Probabilistic Theories and Pathways for Hilbert Space Evolution (Vol-I)

The 2017 paper by Marius Krumm, Howard Barnum, Jonathan Barrett, and Markus P. Müller, published in New Journal of Physics, represents a landmark contribution to the foundations of quantum mechanics within the framework of generalised probabilistic theories (GPTs). By imposing two minimal thermodynamic postulates—reversible transformations between distinguishable pure states and the existence of a semi-permeable membrane distinguishing them—the authors demonstrate that key structural features of quantum theory, including self-duality of the state space, analogues of projective measurements, subspaces, and eigenvalues, emerge naturally from thermodynamic compatibility. Yet these postulates leave room for a Mamun, SM (2026)……………………………………………1 Thermodynamic Sculpting of Quantum Foundations: An Anatomical Review of Krumm et al. (2017) in the Context of Advances in Generalized Probabilistic Theories and Pathways for Hilbert Space Evolution (Vol-I) restricted class of non-quantum theories consistent with a von Neumann-style thermodynamic entropy and the second law. This review provides a thorough anatomical dissection of the paper's arguments, contrasts its findings with post-2017 developments in GPTs, quantum thermodynamics, and experimental tests of higher-order interference, and explores plausible evolutionary pathways for assessing and potentially extending the Hilbert space formalism.

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