Quantum Theory at the Crossroads: Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference

Guido Bacciagaluppi, Antony Valentini

Cambridge University Press, Oct 22, 2009 - Science - 530 pages

The 1927 Solvay conference was perhaps the most important meeting in the history of quantum theory. Contrary to popular belief, the interpretation of quantum theory was not settled at this conference, and no consensus was reached. Instead, a range of sharply conflicting views were presented and extensively discussed, including de Broglie's pilot-wave theory, Born and Heisenberg's quantum mechanics, and Schrödinger's wave mechanics. Today, there is no longer an established or dominant interpretation of quantum theory, so it is important to re-evaluate the historical sources and keep the interpretation debate open. This book contains a complete translation of the original proceedings, with background essays on the three main interpretations of quantum theory presented at the conference, and an extensive analysis of the lectures and discussions in the light of current research in the foundations of quantum theory. The proceedings contain much unexpected material, including extensive discussions of de Broglie's pilot-wave theory (which de Broglie presented for a many-body system), and a theory of 'quantum mechanics' apparently lacking in wave function collapse or fundamental time evolution. This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in physics and in the history and philosophy of quantum theory.

Contents

• Historical introduction: 3
• 1: 64
• From matrix mechanics to quantum mechanics: 80
• 3: 92
• Archival notes: 110
• 6: 111
• 20: 127
• Archival notes: 135
• 1: 141
• Interference superposition and wave packet collapse: 152
• Locality and incompleteness: 175
• Time determinism and the spacetime framework: 184
• Guiding fields in 3space: 197
• De Broglies pilotwave theory: 205
• Pilotwave theory in retrospect: 224
• Beyond the BohrEinstein debate: 242
• H A Lorentz: 255
• 19231924: 289
• Disagreements between experiment and the electromagnetic theory: 301
• The new dynamics of quanta L de Broglie: 341
• Quantum mechanics M Born and W Heisenberg: 372
• Wave mechanics E Schrödinger: 406
• General discussion of the new ideas presented: 432
• 3: 466
• Appendix: 471
• Bibliography: 502
• Index: 515

About the author

Guido Bacciagaluppi is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Time, University of Sydney. His research interests lie mainly in the philosophy of physics. He has contributed significantly to the development and critique of modal interpretations of quantum mechanics, and he has since worked widely in various approaches to the foundations of quantum theory, as well as in the philosophy of probability and time and in the history of quantum mechanics. Antony Valentini is a Research Associate in the Theoretical Physics Group, Imperial College London. He proposed that the universe began with a non-quantum distribution of hidden variables, which later relaxed to the quantum equilibrium state we see today. He has pioneered the development of new physics of quantum nonequilibrium, de Broglie-Bohm theory, and hidden-variables theories generally, and has explored its possible role in cosmology, black holes, and information theory. He also works in the history and philosophy of modern physics.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Quantum Theory at the Crossroads: Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference
• Authors: Guido Bacciagaluppi, Antony Valentini
• Editors: Guido Bacciagaluppi, Antony Valentini
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009
• ISBN: 0521814219, 9780521814218
• Length: 530 pages
• Subjects: Science / History; Science / Physics / General; Science / Physics / Mathematical & Computational; Science / Physics / Quantum Theory