Belgrade Philosophical Annual (Jan 2016)

Common cause completability of non classical probability spaces

  • Gyenis Zalán,
  • Rédei Miklós

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5937/bpa1629015g
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2016, no. 29
pp. 15 – 32

Abstract

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We prove that under some technical assumptions on a general, non-classical probability space, the probability space is extendible into a larger probability space that is common cause closed in the sense of containing a common cause of every correlation between elements in the space. It is argued that the philosophical significance of this common cause completability result is that it allows the defence of the Common Cause principle against certain attempts of falsification. Some open problems concerning possible strengthening of the common cause completability result are formulated.