Description
Book SynopsisQuantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Since its inception, physicists and philosophers have struggled to work out the meaning of quantum mechanics. This book sets out what we know about the quantum world, how we came to this understanding, where we disagree, and where we are heading in our quest to comprehend it.
Trade Review"From the earliest days of the theory, confusion about its interpretation engendered a continuing series of debates... Ghirardi's book provides a careful, evenhanded and well thought-out introduction to this timely topic."--Peter Woit, American Scientist "This is an excellent translation of a magnificent book... [T]he Italian physicist GianCarlo Ghirardi gives a non-technical and critical exposition of deep facts about the foundations of quantum mechanics."--Adonai S. Sant' Anna, Mathematical Reviews "[A] sweeping treatment of one of the most unfathomable yet important scientific frameworks of our time."--Cait Goldberg, Science News "A modern overview of the state of quantum theory... The breadth and depth are very impressive."--Choice "This remarkable book provides a careful and nontechnical introduction to the fundamental epistemological questions of quantum mechanics... [I]t sets out with an in-depth discussion of the conceptual revolution brought about by the transition from a classical to a quantum description of the physical world... All in all a marvelous and thought provoking book by one of the leading scientists in the field."--M. Kunzinger, Monatschefte fur Mathematik
Table of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xvii Chapter One: The Collapse of the "Classical" World View 1 Chapter Two: The Polarization of Light 25 Chapter Three: Quanta, Chance Events, and Indeterminism 43 Chapter Four: The Superposition Principle and the Conceptual Structure of the Theory 79 Chapter Five: Visualization and Scientific Progress 111 Chapter Six: The Interpretation of the Theory 120 Chapter Seven: The Bohr-Einstein Dialogue 149 Chapter Eight: A Bolt from the Blue: The Einstein-Podolski-Rosen Argument 165 Chapter Nine: Hidden Variables 195 Chapter Ten: Bell's Inequality and Nonlocality 226 Chapter Eleven: Nonlocality and Superluminal Signals 261 Chapter Twelve: Quantum Cryptography 292 Chapter Thirteen: Quantum Computers 313 Chapter Fourteen: Systems of Identical Particles 331 Chapter Fifteen: From Microscopic to Macroscopic 344 Chapter Sixteen: In Search of a Coherent Framework for All Physical Processes 377 Chapter Seventeen: Spontaneous Localization, Properties, and Perceptions 416 Chapter Eighteen: Macrorealism and Noninvasive Measurements 437 Chapter Nineteen: Conclusions 448 Notes 455 Bibliography 473 Index 477
