Guido Bacciagaluppi

Quantum Theory at the Crossroads (eBook, ePUB)

Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

The 1927 Solvay conference was perhaps the most important in the history of quantum theory. Contrary to popular belief, questions of interpretation were not settled at this conference. Instead, a range of sharply conflicting views were extensively discussed, including de Broglie's pilot-wave theory (which de Broglie presented for a many-body system), Born and Heisenberg's 'quantum mechanics' (which apparently lacked wave function collapse or fundamental time evolution), and Schrodinger's wave mechanics. Today, there is no longer a dominant interpretation of quantum theory, so it is important to re-evaluate the historical sources and keep the debate open. This book contains a complete translation of the original proceedings, with essays on the three main interpretations presented, and a detailed analysis of the lectures and discussions in the light of current research. This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in physics and in the history and philosophy of quantum theory.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. Oktober 2009
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781139636957
• Artikelnr.: 52924667

Autorenporträt

Guido Bacciagaluppi is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Time, University of Sydney. His research interests lie mainly in the philosophy of physics. He has contributed significantly to the development and critique of modal interpretations of quantum mechanics, and he has since worked widely in various approaches to the foundations of quantum theory, as well as in the philosophy of probability and time and in the history of quantum mechanics.

Inhaltsangabe

Part I. Perspectives on the 1927 Solvay Conference: 1. Historical introduction; 2. De Broglie's pilot-wave theory; 3. From matrix mechanics to quantum mechanics; 4. Schrödinger's wave mechanics; Part II. Quantum Foundations and the 1927 Solvay Conference: 5. Quantum theory and the measurement problem; 6. Interference, superposition, and wave packet collapse; 7. Locality and incompleteness; 8. Time, determinism, and the spacetime framework; 9. Guiding fields in 3-space; 10. Scattering and measurement in de Broglie's pilot-wave theory; 11. Pilot-wave theory in retrospect; 12. Beyond the Bohr-Einstein debate; Part III. The Proceedings of the 1927 Solvay Conference: The intensity of X-ray reflection; Disagreements between experiment and the electromagnetic theory of radiation; The new dynamics of quanta; Quantum mechanics; Wave mechanics; General discussion; Appendix; References; Index.

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Part I. Perspectives on the 1927 Solvay Conference: 1. Historical introduction
2. De Broglie's pilot-wave theory
3. From matrix mechanics to quantum mechanics
4. Schrödinger's wave mechanics
Part II. Quantum Foundations and the 1927 Solvay Conference: 5. Quantum theory and the measurement problem
6. Interference, superposition, and wave packet collapse
7. Locality and incompleteness
8. Time, determinism, and the spacetime framework
9. Guiding fields in 3-space
10. Scattering and measurement in de Broglie's pilot-wave theory
11. Pilot-wave theory in retrospect
12. Beyond the Bohr-Einstein debate
Part III. The Proceedings of the 1927 Solvay Conference: The intensity of X-ray reflection
Disagreements between experiment and the electromagnetic theory of radiation
The new dynamics of quanta
Quantum mechanics
Wave mechanics
General discussion
Appendix
References
Index.

Rezensionen

'Considering the development of quantum mechanics, Quantum Theory at the Crossroads offers a very stimulating viewpoint as its authors take a rather polarizing stance. Overall, it provides an important and inspiring history of quantum mechanics, being most valuable for its translation of the conference proceedings and its account of de Broglie's often neglected pilot-wave theory.' Martin Jähnert, Metascience