Decompositional equivalence: A fundamental symmetry underlying quantum theory

Decompositional equivalence is the principle that there is no preferred decomposition of the universe into subsystems. It is shown here, by using simple thought experiments, that quantum theory follows from decompositional equivalence together with Landauer’s principle. This demonstration raises within physics a question previously left to psychology: how do human - or any

• observers agree about what constitutes a “system of interest”?