A basis independent formulation of the connection between quark mass matrices, CP violation and experiment

In the standard electroweak model, with three families, a one-to-one correspondence between certain determinants involving quark mass matrices (m and m' for charge 2/3 and -1/3 quarks respectively) and the presence/absence of CP violation is given. In an arbitrary basis for mass matrices, the quantity Im det[mm+, m'm'+] appropriately normalized is introduced as a measure of CP violation. By this measure, CP is not maximally violated in any transition in Nature. Finally, constraints on quark mass matrices are derived from experiment. Any model of mass matrices, with the ambition to explain Nature, must satisfy these conditions. (orig.)