Guiding quantum histories with intermediate decomposition of the identity

The effect of a carefully chosen measurement action is proposed to be able to influence the probability distribution of future outcomes. Using the consistent histories formalism, we may calculate the overlap between a current measurement action and an array of possible future states. We propose an interpretation of the mathematics in which a current measurement action reaches recursively into future states and returns a probability. Using intermediate decomposition of a quantum history, we decompose a state at intermediate times into a complete set of states, using a grouping which distinguishes particular outcomes. The “meaning” of the grouping is defined rigorously, and it is shown that under certain minimal assumptions a ‘meaningful grouping’ will always increase the likelihood of a particular outcome. This is labeled “meaningful history selection.” Grouping histories is not a physical process, but rather an information theoretic one that occurs during the measurement process. The model is consistent w...