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Quantum Causality

Conceptual Issues in the Causal Theory of Quantum Mechanics

  • Book
  • © 2009

Overview

Authors:
  1. Peter J. Riggs

    1. School of Humanities Faculty of Arts, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

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  • Quantum Causality is a philosophical account of the place of causality in the quantum realm
  • Quantum phenomena is described in terms of entities and processes in space and time
  • An explanation of the foundations of quantum physics is provided which makes physical reality more intelligible

Part of the book series: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (AUST, volume 23)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-X
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  2. General Introduction

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 1-18

  3. Preliminaries

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 19-44

  4. The Causal Theory of Quantum Mechanics

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 45-78

  5. Energy and the Wave Field

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 79-108

  6. Energy-Momentum Transfer and the Quantum Potential

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 109-146

  7. The Exclusion Principle

    • Peter J. Riggs
    Pages 147-180

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 181-230
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Keywords

About this book

There is no sharp dividing line between the foundations of physics and philosophy of physics. This is especially true for quantum mechanics. The debate on the interpretation of quantum mechanics has raged in both the scientific and philosophical communities since the 1920s and continues to this day. (We shall understand the unqualified term ‘quantum mechanics’ to mean the mathematical formalism, i. e. laws and rules by which empirical predictions and theoretical advances are made. ) There is a popular rendering of quantum mechanics which has been publicly endorsed by some well known physicists which says that quantum mechanics is not only 1 more weird than we imagine but is weirder than we can imagine. Although it is readily granted that quantum mechanics has produced some strange and counter-intuitive results, the case will be presented in this book that quantum mechanics is not as weird as we might have been led to believe! The prevailing theory of quantum mechanics is called Orthodox Quantum Theory (also known as the Copenhagen Interpretation). Orthodox Quantum Theory endows a special status on measurement processes by requiring an intervention of an observer or an observer’s proxy (e. g. a measuring apparatus). The placement of the observer (or proxy) is somewhat arbitrary which introduces a degree of subjectivity. Orthodox Quantum Theory only predicts probabilities for measured values of physical quantities. It is essentially an instrumental theory, i. e.

Reviews

From the reviews:

“This text on the derivation of both the time dependent and time independent Schrodinger equations is breaking new ground concerning the single, 2D, and 3D quantum mechanical systems. It is very well written and superbly written for both student and expert … . the text will be of great value for future physicists, chemists, and other fields of science at both the introductory level, but also in addition to more advanced levels in both teaching/ research. I highly recommend this book for all readers.” (Joseph J. Grenier, Amazon.com, November, 2013)

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Humanities Faculty of Arts, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Peter J. Riggs

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Quantum Causality

  • Book Subtitle: Conceptual Issues in the Causal Theory of Quantum Mechanics

  • Authors: Peter J. Riggs

  • Series Title: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2403-9

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-90-481-2402-2Published: 12 June 2009

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-90-481-8497-2Published: 22 October 2010

  • eBook ISBN: 978-90-481-2403-9Published: 05 June 2009

  • Series ISSN: 1871-7381

  • Series E-ISSN: 2215-1958

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 230

  • Topics: Philosophy of Science, Quantum Physics

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