The Conceptual Foundations Of Quantum Mechanics

Author : Jeffrey A. Barrett
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2020-01-02
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780198844686

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The Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Jeffrey A. Barrett Pdf

"The book starts with a description of classical mechanics then discusses the quantum phenomena that require us to give up our commonsense classical intuitions. We consider the physical and conceptual arguments that led to the standard von Neumann-Dirac formulation of quantum mechanics and how the standard theory explains quantum phenomena. This includes a discussion of how the theory's two dynamical laws work with the standard interpretation of states to explain determinate measurement records, quantum statistics, interference effects, entanglement, decoherence, and quantum nonlocality. A careful understanding of how the standard theory works ultimately leads to the quantum measurement problem. We consider how the measurement problem threatens the logical consistency of the standard theory then turn to a discussion of the main proposals for resolving it. This includes collapse formulations of quantum mechanics like Wigner's extension of the standard theory and the GRW approach and no-collapse formulations like pure wave mechanics, the various many-worlds theories, and Bohmian mechanics. In discussing alternative formulations of quantum mechanics we pay particular attention to the explanatory role played by each theory's empirical ontology and associated metaphysical commitments and the conceptual trade-offs between theoretical options"--

Author : Bernard D'espagnat
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 217 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2018-03-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780429981074

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Conceptual Foundations Of Quantum Mechanics by Bernard D'espagnat Pdf

Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics provides a detailed view of the conceptual foundations and problems of quantum physics, and a clear and comprehensive account of the fundamental physical implications of the quantum formalism. This book deals with nonseparability, hidden variable theories, measurement theories and several related problems. Mathematical arguments are presented with an emphasis on simple but adequately representative cases. The conclusion incorporates a description of a set of relationships and concepts that could compose a legitimate view of the world.

Author : Dipankar Home
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 399 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2013-06-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781475798081

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Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Physics by Dipankar Home Pdf

It may tum out that, like certain other phenomena studied by sociologists, bouts of interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics tend to come in 60-year cycles. It is hardly surprising that in the first decade or so of the subject the conceptual puzzles generated by this strange new way of looking at the world should have generated profound interest, not just among professional physicists themselves but also among philosophers and informed laymen; but this intense interest was followed by a fallow period in the forties and fifties when the physics establishment by and large took the view that the only puzzles left were the product either of incompetent application of the formalism or of bad philosophy, and only a few brave individualists like the late David Bohm dared to suggest that maybe there really was something there after all to worry about. As Bell and Nauenberg, surveying the scene in 1966, put it: "The typical physicist feels that [these questions 1 have long ago been answered, and that he will fully understand how if ever he can spare twenty minutes to think about it. " But gradually, through the sixties and seventies, curiosity did revive, and the last ten years or so have seen a level of interest in foundational questions, and an involvement in them by some of the leading figures of contemporary physics, which is probably unparalleled since the earliest days.

Author : Tian Yu Cao
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2004-03-25
Category : Science
ISBN : 0521602726

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Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory by Tian Yu Cao Pdf

Multi-author volume on the history and philosophy of physics.

Author : Travis Norsen
Publisher : Springer
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783319658674

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Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Travis Norsen Pdf

Authored by an acclaimed teacher of quantum physics and philosophy, this textbook pays special attention to the aspects that many courses sweep under the carpet. Traditional courses in quantum mechanics teach students how to use the quantum formalism to make calculations. But even the best students - indeed, especially the best students - emerge rather confused about what, exactly, the theory says is going on, physically, in microscopic systems. This supplementary textbook is designed to help such students understand that they are not alone in their confusions (luminaries such as Albert Einstein, Erwin Schroedinger, and John Stewart Bell having shared them), to sharpen their understanding of the most important difficulties associated with interpreting quantum theory in a realistic manner, and to introduce them to the most promising attempts to formulate the theory in a way that is physically clear and coherent. The text is accessible to students with at least one semester of prior exposure to quantum (or "modern") physics and includes over a hundred engaging end-of-chapter "Projects" that make the book suitable for either a traditional classroom or for self-study.

Author : Leonard Eisenbud
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 148 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Quantum theory
ISBN : OCLC:1120798905

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The Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Leonard Eisenbud Pdf

Author : Paul Ehrenfest,Tatiana Ehrenfest
Publisher : Courier Corporation
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2014-11-12
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780486163147

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The Conceptual Foundations of the Statistical Approach in Mechanics by Paul Ehrenfest,Tatiana Ehrenfest Pdf

Classic 1912 article reformulated the foundations of the statistical approach in mechanics. Largely still valid, the treatment covers older formulation of statistico-mechanical investigations, modern formulation of kineto-statistics of the gas model, and more. 1959 edition.

Author : Belal E. Baaquie
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2013-01-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781461462248

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The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Belal E. Baaquie Pdf

The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics addresses fundamental issues that are not discussed in most books on quantum mechanics. This book focuses on analyzing the underlying principles of quantum mechanics and explaining the conceptual and theoretical underpinning of quantum mechanics. In particular, the concepts of quantum indeterminacy, quantum measurement and quantum superposition are analyzed to clarify the concepts that are implicit in the formulation of quantum mechanics. The Schrodinger equation is never solved in the book. Rather, the discussion on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics is treated in a rigorous manner based on the mathematics of quantum mechanics. The new concept of the interplay of empirical and trans-empirical constructs in quantum mechanics is introduced to clarify the foundations of quantum mechanics and to explain the counter-intuitive construction of nature in quantum mechanics. The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics is aimed at the advanced undergraduate and assumes introductory knowledge of quantum mechanics. Its objective is to provide a solid foundation for the reader to reach a deeper understanding of the principles of quantum mechanics.

Author : James T. Cushing
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 1994-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 0226132021

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Quantum Mechanics by James T. Cushing Pdf

Why does one theory "succeed" while another, possibly clearer interpretation, fails? By exploring two observationally equivalent yet conceptually incompatible views of quantum mechanics, James T. Cushing shows how historical contingency can be crucial to determining a theory's construction and its position among competing views. Since the late 1920s, the theory formulated by Niels Bohr and his colleagues at Copenhagen has been the dominant interpretation of quantum mechanics. Yet an alternative interpretation, rooted in the work of Louis de Broglie in the early 1920s and reformulated and extended by David Bohm in the 1950s, equally well explains the observational data. Through a detailed historical and sociological study of the physicists who developed different theories of quantum mechanics, the debates within and between opposing camps, and the receptions given to each theory, Cushing shows that despite the preeminence of the Copenhagen view, the Bohm interpretation cannot be ignored. Cushing contends that the Copenhagen interpretation became widely accepted not because it is a better explanation of subatomic phenomena than is Bohm's, but because it happened to appear first. Focusing on the philosophical, social, and cultural forces that shaped one of the most important developments in modern physics, this provocative book examines the role that timing can play in the establishment of theory and explanation.

Author : Bernard D'Espagnat
Publisher : Perseus Books
Page : 301 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 1994-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0201406845

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Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Bernard D'Espagnat Pdf

0-7382-0104-9 Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Second Edition

Author : Meir Hemmo,Orly R. Shenker
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 341 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2012-09-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781107019683

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The Road to Maxwell's Demon by Meir Hemmo,Orly R. Shenker Pdf

A philosophical perspective to statistical mechanics for graduate students and researchers in the foundations and philosophy of physics.

Author : Mara Beller
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 390 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226041827

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Quantum Dialogue by Mara Beller Pdf

"Science is rooted in conversations," wrote Werner Heisenberg, one of the twentieth century's great physicists. In Quantum Dialogue, Mara Beller shows that science is rooted not just in conversation but in disagreement, doubt, and uncertainty. She argues that it is precisely this culture of dialogue and controversy within the scientific community that fuels creativity. Beller draws her argument from her radical new reading of the history of the quantum revolution, especially the development of the Copenhagen interpretation. One of several competing approaches, this version succeeded largely due to the rhetorical skills of Niels Bohr and his colleagues. Using extensive archival research, Beller shows how Bohr and others marketed their views, misrepresenting and dismissing their opponents as "unreasonable" and championing their own not always coherent or well-supported position as "inevitable." Quantum Dialogue, winner of the 1999 Morris D. Forkosch Prize of the Journal of the History of Ideas, will fascinate everyone interested in how stories of "scientific revolutions" are constructed and "scientific consensus" achieved. "[A]n intellectually stimulating piece of work, energised by a distinct point of view."—Dipankar Home, Times Higher Education Supplement "[R]emarkable and original. . . . [Beller's] arguments are thoroughly supported and her conclusions are meticulously argued. . . . This is an important book that all who are interested in the emergence of quantum mechanics will want to read."—William Evenson, History of Physics Newsletter

Author : Franck Laloë
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 409 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2012-08-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781107025011

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Do We Really Understand Quantum Mechanics? by Franck Laloë Pdf

Gives an overview of the quantum theory and its main interpretations. Ideal for researchers in physics and mathematics.

Author : Anthony Duncan
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2012-08-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191642203

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The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory by Anthony Duncan Pdf

The book attempts to provide an introduction to quantum field theory emphasizing conceptual issues frequently neglected in more "utilitarian" treatments of the subject. The book is divided into four parts, entitled respectively "Origins", "Dynamics", "Symmetries", and "Scales". The emphasis is conceptual - the aim is to build the theory up systematically from some clearly stated foundational concepts - and therefore to a large extent anti-historical, but two historical Chapters ("Origins") are included to situate quantum field theory in the larger context of modern physical theories. The three remaining sections of the book follow a step by step reconstruction of this framework beginning with just a few basic assumptions: relativistic invariance, the basic principles of quantum mechanics, and the prohibition of physical action at a distance embodied in the clustering principle. The "Dynamics" section of the book lays out the basic structure of quantum field theory arising from the sequential insertion of quantum-mechanical, relativistic and locality constraints. The central role of symmetries in relativistic quantum field theories is explored in the third section of the book, while in the final section, entitled "Scales", we explore in detail the feature of quantum field theories most critical for their enormous phenomenological success - the scale separation property embodied by the renormalization group properties of a theory defined by an effective local Lagrangian.

Author : Christopher G. Timpson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2013-04-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199296460

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Quantum Information Theory and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Christopher G. Timpson Pdf

Christopher G. Timpson provides the first full-length philosophical treatment of quantum information theory and the questions it raises for our understanding of the quantum world. He argues for an ontologically deflationary account of the nature of quantum information, which is grounded in a revisionary analysis of the concepts of information.