Jaroszkiewicz, G.

2023
Cambridge University Press

Abstract: Scientists have been debating the meaning of quantum mechanics for over a century. This book for graduate students and researchers gets to the root of the problem; the contextual nature of empirical truth, the laws of observation and how these impact on our understanding of quantum physics. Bridging the gap between non-relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, this novel approach to quantum mechanics extends the standard formalism to cover the observer and their apparatus. The author demystifies some of the aspects of quantum mechanics that have traditionally been regarded as extraordinary, such as wave-particle duality and quantum superposition, by emphasizing the scientific principles rather than the mathematical modelling involved. Including key experiments and worked examples throughout to encourage the reader to focus on empirically sound concepts, this book avoids metaphysical speculation and also alerts the reader to the use of computer algebra to explore quantum experiments of virtually limitless complexity.

Keyword(s): thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PH Physics::PHN Nuclear physics ; classical bits ; quantum bits ; classical and quantum registers ; classical register mechanics ; quantum register dynamics ; partial observations ; mixed states ; POVMs ; double-slit experiments ; modules ; computer algebra ; interferometers ; quantum eraser experiments ; particle decays ; non-locality ; Bell inequalities ; temporal correlations ; Franson experiment ; self-intervening networks ; separability and entanglement ; causal sets ; oscillators ; dynamical theory of observation ; Physics and Astronomy ; Theoretical Physics and Mathematical Physics ; History, Philosophy and Foundations of Physics