Interpreting the Quantum World

Philosophy of physics title by highly regarded author, fully revised for this paperback edition.

Jeffrey Bub (Author)

9780521653862, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 August 1999

308 pages, 16 b/w illus.
24.7 x 17.4 x 1.8 cm, 0.648 kg

'The book contains an amazing wealth of information … there is much to learn from Bub's book, and I recommend it without hesitation to all those who are interested in the foundations of quantum theory.' Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics

This is a book about the interpretation of quantum mechanics, in particular how to resolve the measurement problem introduced by the orthodox interpretation of the theory. The heart of the book is a new result that shows how to construct all possible 'no collapse' interpretations, subject to certain natural constraints and the limitations imposed by the hidden variable theorems. The discussion is self-contained and organized so that the technical portions may be skipped without losing the argument.

Introduction
1. From classical to quantum mechanics
2. Bell's 'no-go' theorem
3. The Kochen and Specker 'no-go' theorem
4. The proof of interpretation
5. Quantum mechanics without observers: I
6. Quantum mechanics without observers: II
7. Orthodoxy
8. The new orthodoxy
Coda
Appendix: some methematical machinery.

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