Extending Segal’s postulates of quantum mechanics to the complex case

Abstract

In this paper, we review Segal’s postulates for general Quantum Mechanics, updating and clarifying their mathematical formulation to simplify them. Our approach provides additional insights as well as a pathway to easily contribute new results to the body of knowledge on systems of observables. Moreover, we introduce the notion of complex system of observables, which arises naturally from the analysis carried out. As we show, these last systems of observables are related to the classical (real) ones through the process of complexification. Taking advantage of this, algebraic systems of observables are completely determined in both the real and complex cases.