Aspects of Quantum Theory

These twelve articles discuss aspects of quantum mechanics that owe their origin to the work of P. A. M. Dirac.

Abdus Salam (Edited by), E. P. Wigner (Edited by)

9780521131032, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 11 February 2010

288 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.43 kg

Originally published in 1972, the twelve articles in this volume discuss various aspects of quantum mechanics that owe their origin to the work of P. A. M. Dirac. Each of the distinguished contributors reviews Dirac's work and discusses its development in some detail. Since Dirac's work ranged widely, the resulting volume constitutes a valuable survey of the state of quantum mechanics. A small part of the book contains personal reminiscences of Dirac in Cambridge and of his early visits to the USA and gives a historical account of the development of quantum mechanics during the decade 1924–1933, aptly termed 'the golden age of theoretical physics'.

Preface
List of contributors
Bibliography of P. A. M. Dirac
1. Dirac in Cambridge R. J. Eden and J. C. Polkinghorne
2. Travels with Dirac in the Rockies J. H. Van Vleck
3. 'The golden age of theoretical physics': P. A. M. Dirac's scientific work from 1924 to 1933 Jagdish Mehra
4. Foundation of quantum field theory Res Jost
5. The early history of the theory of electron: 1897–1947 A. Pais
6. The Dirac equation A. S. Wightman
7. Fermi-Dirac statistics Rudolph Peierls
8. Indefinite metric in state space W. Heisenberg
9. On bras and kets J. M. Jauch
10. The Poisson bracket C. Lanczos
11. La 'fonction' et les noyaux L. Schwartz
12. On the Dirac magnetic poles Edoardo Amadli and Nicola Cabibbo
13. The fundamental constants and their time variation Freeman J. Dyson
14. On the time-energy uncertainty relation Eugene P. Wigner
15. The path-integral quantisation of gravity Abdus Salam and J. Strathdee
Index
Plates.

Subject Areas: Quantum physics [quantum mechanics & quantum field theory PHQ], Physics [PH]