Quantum Theory at the Crossroads
Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference

Translation of the Fifth Solvay Congress proceedings, for graduate students and researchers in physics and quantum theory.

Guido Bacciagaluppi (Author), Antony Valentini (Author)

9781107698314, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 November 2013

558 pages
24.5 x 17 x 3 cm, 0.97 kg

'On the whole, the authors' arguments are well thought through and balanced. But in my opinion the most vital aspect of the book is that it highlights de Broglie's historical position and tries to understand why his achievements were neglected, and for this reason alone I would recommend this book.' Jan Faye, Centaurus

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 Schrödinger'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.

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.

Subject Areas: Mathematical physics [PHU], Physics [PH], History of science [PDX]