Foundations of Quantum Mechanics : An Exploration of the Physical Meaning of Quantum Theory

Title: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics : An Exploration of the Physical Meaning of Quantum Theory
Author: Travis Norsen
ISBN: 3319658662 / 9783319658667
Format: Soft Cover
Pages: 310
Publisher: SPRINGER
Year: 2017
Availability: 15-30 days

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Authored by an acclaimed teacher of quantum physics and philosophy, this textbook pays special attention to the aspects that many courses sweep under the carpet. Traditional courses in quantum mechanics teach students how to use the quantum formalism to make calculations. But even the best students - indeed, especially the best students - emerge rather confused about what, exactly, the theory says is going on, physically, in microscopic systems. This supplementary textbook is designed to help such students understand that they are not alone in their confusions (luminaries such as Albert Einstein, Erwin Schroedinger, and John Stewart Bell having shared them), to sharpen their understanding of the most important difficulties associated with interpreting quantum theory in a realistic manner, and to introduce them to the most promising attempts to formulate the theory in a way that is physically clear and coherent.

The text is accessible to students with at least one semester of prior exposure to quantum (or "modern") physics and includes over a hundred engaging end-of-chapter "Projects" that make the book suitable for either a traditional classroom or for self-study.

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Chapter 1 : Pre-Quantum Theories
Chapter 2 : Quantum Examples
Chapter 3 : The Measurement Problem
Chapter 4 : The Locality Problem
Chapter 5 : The Ontology Problem
Chapter 6 : The Copenhagen Interpretation
Chapter 7 : The Pilot-Wave Theory
Chapter 8 : Bell’s Theorem
Chapter 9 : The Spontaneous Collapse Theory
Chapter 10 : The Many-Worlds Theory