|
Quantum Philosophy
''Quantum Philosophy'' is a 2002 book by the physicist Roland Omnès, in which he aims to show the non-specialist reader how modern developments in quantum mechanics allow the recovery of our common sense view of the world. Book contents * Section I - a review of mathematics, epistemology and science from the classical to the early modern period. * Section II - a review of the ineluctable rise of formalism in mathematics and in fundamental physical science, which, Omnès argues, was not a choice, but was forced on researchers by the nature of the subject matter. * Section III - the central section of the book, in which the recovery of common sense, as outlined below, is presented. * Section IV - a short section of reflections on possible future steps. Brief summary of Omnès' central argument Omnès' project is not quite as it at first sounds. He is not trying to show that quantum mechanics itself can be understood in a common sense framework, quite the opposite. He argues ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roland Omnès
Roland Omnès (born 18 February 1931), is the author of several books which aim to give non-scientists the information required to understand quantum mechanics from an everyday standpoint. Biography Omnès is currently Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics in the Faculté des sciences at Orsay, at the Université Paris-Sud XI. He has been instrumental in developing the consistent histories and quantum decoherence approaches in quantum mechanics. In 1959 he received the Paul-Langevin Prize. Philosophical work In his philosophical work (especially in ''Quantum Philosophy''), Omnès argues that: # "Until modern times, intuitive, rational thought was sufficient to describe the world; mathematics remained an adjunct, simply helping to make our intuitive descriptions more precise." # "In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we arrived at a Fracture between common sense and our best descriptions of reality. Our formal description became the truest picture (most consistent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales. Most theories in classical physics can be derived from quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at large (macroscopic) scale. Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in that energy, momentum, angular momentum, and other quantities of a bound system are restricted to discrete values ( quantization); objects have characteristics of both particles and waves (wave–particle duality); and there are limits to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epistemology
Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Epistemologists study the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge, epistemic justification, the rationality of belief, and various related issues. Debates in epistemology are generally clustered around four core areas: # The philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge and the conditions required for a belief to constitute knowledge, such as truth and justification # Potential sources of knowledge and justified belief, such as perception, reason, memory, and testimony # The structure of a body of knowledge or justified belief, including whether all justified beliefs must be derived from justified foundational beliefs or whether justification requires only a coherent set of beliefs # Philosophical skepticism, which questions the possibili ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wavefunction Collapse
In quantum mechanics, wave function collapse occurs when a wave function—initially in a superposition of several eigenstates—reduces to a single eigenstate due to interaction with the external world. This interaction is called an ''observation'', and is the essence of a measurement in quantum mechanics, which connects the wave function with classical observables such as position and momentum. Collapse is one of the two processes by which quantum systems evolve in time; the other is the continuous evolution governed by the Schrödinger equation. : Collapse is a black box for a thermodynamically irreversible interaction with a classical environment. Calculations of quantum decoherence show that when a quantum system interacts with the environment, the superpositions ''apparently'' reduce to mixtures of classical alternatives. Significantly, the combined wave function of the system and environment continue to obey the Schrödinger equation throughout this ''apparent'' colla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unitarity (physics)
In quantum physics, unitarity is the condition that the time evolution of a quantum state according to the Schrödinger equation is mathematically represented by a unitary operator. This is typically taken as an axiom or basic postulate of quantum mechanics, while generalizations of or departures from unitarity are part of speculations about theories that may go beyond quantum mechanics. A unitarity bound is any inequality that follows from the unitarity of the evolution operator, i.e. from the statement that time evolution preserves inner products in Hilbert space. Hamiltonian evolution Time evolution described by a time-independent Hamiltonian is represented by a one-parameter family of unitary operators, for which the Hamiltonian is a generator: U(t) = e^. In the Schrödinger picture, the unitary operators are taken to act upon the system's quantum state, whereas in the Heisenberg picture, the time dependence is incorporated into the observables instead. Implications of unit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantum Decoherence
Quantum decoherence is the loss of quantum coherence. In quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons are described by a wave function, a mathematical representation of the quantum state of a system; a probabilistic interpretation of the wave function is used to explain various quantum effects. As long as there exists a definite phase relation between different states, the system is said to be coherent. A definite phase relationship is necessary to perform quantum computing on quantum information encoded in quantum states. Coherence is preserved under the laws of quantum physics. If a quantum system were perfectly isolated, it would maintain coherence indefinitely, but it would be impossible to manipulate or investigate it. If it is not perfectly isolated, for example during a measurement, coherence is shared with the environment and appears to be lost with time; a process called quantum decoherence. As a result of this process, quantum behavior is apparently lost, just as ene ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consistent Histories
In quantum mechanics, the consistent histories (also referred to as decoherent histories) approach is intended to give a modern interpretation of quantum mechanics, generalising the conventional Copenhagen interpretation and providing a natural interpretation of quantum cosmology. This interpretation of quantum mechanics is based on a consistency criterion that then allows probabilities to be assigned to various alternative histories of a system such that the probabilities for each history obey the rules of classical probability while being consistent with the Schrödinger equation. In contrast to some interpretations of quantum mechanics, particularly the Copenhagen interpretation, the framework does not include "wavefunction collapse" as a relevant description of any physical process, and emphasizes that measurement theory is not a fundamental ingredient of quantum mechanics. Histories A ''homogeneous history'' H_i (here i labels different histories) is a sequence of Propositio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
EPR Paradox
EPR may refer to: Science and technology * EPR (nuclear reactor), European Pressurised-Water Reactor * EPR paradox (Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox), in physics * Earth potential rise, in electrical engineering * East Pacific Rise, a mid-oceanic ridge * Electron paramagnetic resonance * Engine pressure ratio,of a jet engine * Ethylene propylene rubber * Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope (Evpatoria planetary radar) * Bernays–Schönfinkel class or effectively propositional, in mathematical logic * Endpoint references in Web addressing * Ethnic Power Relations, dataset of ethnic groups * ePrivacy Regulation (ePR), proposal for the regulation of various privacy-related topics, mostly in relation to electronic communications within the European Union Medicine * Enhanced permeability and retention effect, a controversial concept in cancer research * Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation, a medical procedure * Electronic patient record Environment * UNECE Environmental Perform ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schrödinger's Cat
In quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment that illustrates a paradox of quantum superposition. In the thought experiment, a hypothetical cat may be considered simultaneously both alive and dead, while it is unobserved in a closed box, as a result of its fate being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur. This thought experiment was devised by physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935, in a discussion with Albert Einstein, to illustrate what Schrödinger saw as the problems of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. The scenario is often featured in theoretical discussions of the interpretations of quantum mechanics, particularly in situations involving the measurement problem. Origin and motivation Schrödinger intended his thought experiment as a discussion of the EPR article—named after its authors Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen—in 1935. The EPR article highlighted the counterintuitive nature of quantum superposition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Measurement In Quantum Mechanics
In quantum physics, a measurement is the testing or manipulation of a physical system to yield a numerical result. The predictions that quantum physics makes are in general probabilistic. The mathematical tools for making predictions about what measurement outcomes may occur were developed during the 20th century and make use of linear algebra and functional analysis. Quantum physics has proven to be an empirical success and to have wide-ranging applicability. However, on a more philosophical level, debates continue about the meaning of the measurement concept. Mathematical formalism "Observables" as self-adjoint operators In quantum mechanics, each physical system is associated with a Hilbert space, each element of which represents a possible state of the physical system. The approach codified by John von Neumann represents a measurement upon a physical system by a self-adjoint operator on that Hilbert space termed an "observable". These observables play the role of measurable ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Griffiths (physicist)
Robert B. Griffiths (February 25, 1937) is an American physicist at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the originator of the consistent histories approach to quantum mechanics, which has since been developed by himself, Roland Omnès, Murray Gell-Mann, and James Hartle. Early life and education Robert B. Griffiths was born in Etah, Uttar Pradesh in 1937 to Presbyterian missionaries. Griffiths attended Woodstock School, India from fourth standard to tenth, along with his brothers and sisters. Even during his Woodstock days, Griffiths' mathematical and scientific aptitude was apparent. The 1952 year book remarks that ''"Robert is famous for his long arguments (and unsurpassed knowledge) in chemistry class, his ability to 'recite' the log tables indelibly written in his brain, and his skill when it comes to fixing anything electrical."'' This knack for electrical systems kept Griffiths at Woodstock through part of 1953, working with the school's various wiring systems. Academic career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
