The Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Jeffrey A. Barrett (PDF)

Description

In this book Jeffrey A. Barrett provides an introduction to the history and conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics. He begins with a description of classical mechanics and a discussion of the quantum phenomena that radically undermine our common-sense classical intuitions about how the physical world works. He then considers the physical and conceptual arguments that led to the standard von Neumann-Dirac formulation of quantum mechanics and how the standardtheory explains quantum phenomena. This includes a discussion of how the theory’s two dynamical laws work with the standard interpretation of states to explain determinate measurement records, quantum statistics, interference effects, entanglement, decoherence, and quantum nonlocality.A careful understanding of how the standard theory works ultimately leads to the quantum measurement problem. Barrett considers how this problem threatens the logical consistency of the standard theory and then turns to a discussion of the main proposals for resolving it. This includes collapse formulations of quantum mechanics, the various many-worlds theories, and Bohmian mechanics. In discussing alternative formulations he pays particular attention to the explanatory role played by eachtheory’s empirical ontology and associated metaphysical commitments, and the conceptual trade-offs between theoretical options. The book is well-suited to those interested in physics and the history and philosophy of quantum mechanics.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Full disclosure, I took a class with the author. The first edition has a few minor typos, but nothing that causes actual confusion about what is being said. As someone who hadn’t taken a physics class in over a decade (and I’d never take a quantum class), this book felt like the perfect introduction to the material. The book uses the Von Neumann/Dirac formulation of the standard model as an ongoing reference point. It opens with a non methematical description of the motivations surrounding the early development of QM, then introduces basic bra ket notation, and then the standard model. After that it gives a very approachable articulation of the Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) objection along with Bell’s inequality. Comparing the EPR paper with this book’s presentation of the objection is incredible because Barrett makes the objection from EPR and Bell’s inequality incredibly clear. He does this all in bra ket notation avoiding the more involved mathematics of the EPR paper. A motivated high school student could work through this book without guidance. After EPR and Bell, Barrett uses Wigner’s articulation of the measurement problem as a touchstone for discussing alternative formulations/interpretations of QM. These include GRW, Everett’s pure wave mechanics, many worlds interpretations, and Bhomian mechanics. He does not commit to any one of these formulations being the best, but rather focuses on the merits and vices of each. The book gives a very approachable introduction to QM which does have the consequence of lacking a mathematically rigorous articulation of wave functions and field theory. So don’t expect it to be anything more than what it claims to be.

⭐Liked the mathematical approach to foundational issues of quantum mechanics. Must be willing to learn some basic linear algebra. Lessons without homework provided by the text. Comes with penetrating verbal analysis of the issues.

⭐This is a great book about Quantum Mechianics. You do not need to be an expert to abord and understand it. Its important to have some knowledge about phisics and math and interest in this matter. I recommend this book widely.

⭐量子論の歴史をなぞり発展の通り記述している。多世界解釈までとそれからボーム力学のことまでが書かれる。ボーム力学がそれがどれだけの使いようがあるかは別として古典力学と量子論の結実としてボーム力学が描かれる。量子力学も奇妙なことが多いがボーム力学はすべてを解決できるのだろうか？量子論の特徴をボーム力学が抑えられるのかまだまだ疑問だ。でも解説書として素晴らしいと思う。

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