Foundations of Quantum Theory

From Classical Concepts to Operator Algebras
1st ed. 2017
ISBN: 978-3-319-51776-6
Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buch, Englisch, Band 188, 861 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 14594 g

Reihe: Fundamental Theories of Physics

This book studies the foundations of quantum theory through its relationship to classical physics. This idea goes back to the Copenhagen Interpretation (in the original version due to Bohr and Heisenberg), which the author relates to the mathematical formalism of operator algebras originally created by von Neumann. The book therefore includes comprehensive appendices on functional analysis and C*-algebras, as well as a briefer one on logic, category theory, and topos theory. Matters of foundational as well as mathematical interest that are covered in detail include symmetry (and its "spontaneous" breaking), the measurement problem, the Kochen-Specker, Free Will, and Bell Theorems, the Kadison-Singer conjecture, quantization, indistinguishable particles, the quantum theory of large systems, and quantum logic, the latter in connection with the topos approach to quantum theory.

This book is Open Access under a CC BY licence.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Landsman, Klaas

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein Geschichte der Physik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein Theoretische Physik, Mathematische Physik, Computerphysik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Quantenphysik
• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Algebra Lineare und multilineare Algebra, Matrizentheorie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction.- Part I Co(X) and B(H): Classical physics on a finite phase space.- Quantum mechanics on a finite-dimensional Hilbert space.- Classical physics on a general phase space.- Quantum physics on a general Hilbert space.- Symmetry in quantum mechanics.- Part II Between Co(X) and B(H): Classical models of quantum mechanics.- Limits: Small hbar.- Limits: large N.- Symmetry in algebraic quantum theory.- Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking.- The Measurement Problem.- Topos theory and quantum logic.- Appendix A: Finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces.- Appendix B: Basic functional analysis.- Appendix C: Operator algebras.- Appendix D: Lattices and logic.- Appendix E: Category theory and topos theory.- References.

Über Autor(innen)

Klaas Landsman (1963) obtained his PhD in Theoretical High-Energy Physics from the University of Amsterdam in 1989. He was a research fellow at the University of Cambridge from 1989-1997, with a sojourn as Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in Hamburg from 1993-94. He was subsequently a Royal Academy Research Fellow at the University of Amsterdam from 1997-2002, and obtained a Pioneer Grant from NWO in 2002. Klaas has held the Chairs in Analysis and subsequently in Mathematical Physics at the Radboud University since 2004, and in 2011 was awarded the Bronze Medal of this university for his outreach work in mathematics. His research is mainly concerned with non-commutative geometry and with the mathematical foundations of quantum theory.