Identity and Indiscernibility in Quantum Mechanics

Identity and Indiscernibility in Quantum Mechanics
Author: Tomasz Bigaj
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2022-01-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030748707

Download Identity and Indiscernibility in Quantum Mechanics Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book analyzes metaphysical consequences of the quantum theory of many particles with respect to the fundamental notions of identity, individuality and discernibility. The main focus is on the proper interpretation of the quantum formalism in relation to the role of permutation invariance and the adequate representation of the properties of individual subsystems. Two main approaches to the issue of the individuation of quantum particles are distinguished and thoroughly discussed. These approaches differ radically with respect to their metaphysical consequences – while one of them implies the complete indiscernibility of quantum particles of the same kind, the other one restores the possibility of discerning individual particles by their properties. We connect the problem of quantum individuation and discernibility with an analysis of the concept of quantum entanglement, and we also discuss identity over time and in counterfactual scenarios.

The Oxford Handbook of the History of Quantum Interpretations

The Oxford Handbook of the History of Quantum Interpretations
Author: Olival Freire Jr
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1311
Release: 2022-03-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0192582984

Download The Oxford Handbook of the History of Quantum Interpretations Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Crucial to most research in physics, as well as leading to the development of inventions such as the transistor and the laser, quantum mechanics approaches its centenary with an impressive record. However, the field has also long been the subject of ongoing debates about the foundations and interpretation of the theory, referred to as the quantum controversy. This Oxford Handbook offers a historical overview of the contrasts which have been at the heart of quantum physics for the last 100 years. Drawing on the wide-ranging expertise of several contributors working across physics, history, and philosophy, the handbook outlines the main theories and interpretations of quantum physics. It goes on to tackle the key controversies surrounding the field, touching on issues such as determinism, realism, locality, classicality, information, measurements, mathematical foundations, and the links between quantum theory and gravity. This engaging introduction is an essential guide for all those interested in the history of scientific controversies and history of quantum physics. It also provides a fascinating examination of the potential of quantum physics to influence new discoveries and advances in fields such quantum information and computing.

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Superpositions, Dynamics, Semantics And Identity

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Superpositions, Dynamics, Semantics And Identity
Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2016-07-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 981314629X

Download Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Superpositions, Dynamics, Semantics And Identity Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book provides an interdisciplinary approach to one of the most fascinating and important open questions in science: What is quantum mechanics really talking about? In the last decades quantum mechanics has given rise to a new quantum technological era, a revolution taking place today especially within the field of quantum information processing; which goes from quantum teleportation and cryptography to quantum computation. Quantum theory is probably our best confirmed physical theory. However, in spite of its great empirical effectiveness it stands today still without a universally accepted physical representation that allows us to understand its relation to the world and reality.The novelty of the book comes from the multiple perspectives put forward by top researchers in quantum mechanics, from Europe as well as North and South America, discussing the meaning and structure of the theory of quanta. The book comprises in a balanced manner physical, philosophical, logical and mathematical approaches to quantum mechanics and quantum information. Going from quantum superpositions and entanglement to dynamics and the problem of identity; from quantum logic, computation and quasi-set theory to the category approach and teleportation; from realism and empiricism to operationalism and instrumentalism; the book considers from different angles some of the most intriguing questions in the field.From Buenos Aires to Brussels and Cagliari, from Florence to Florianópolis, the interaction between different groups is reflected in the many different articles. This book is interesting not only to the specialists but also to the general public attempting to get a grasp on some of the most fundamental questions of present quantum physics.

Relativism-Relativity

Relativism-Relativity
Author: Marin Cilea
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 120
Release: 2013-07-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 1443850845

Download Relativism-Relativity Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Relativism-Relativity: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on a Modern Concept is a revisionary and historicist approach to an issue which cuts across the disciplinary borders of science, philosophy, ethics and art. Sceptical of stereotypes, including those of the totalising fictions of the Enlightenment, supposedly steeped in absolutism and substantialism, the authors endeavour to bring to light an alternative mode of cognitive mapping which runs from the seventeenth century to the age of complexity. Current notions of fractal geometry, rhizomatic linking of open structures, hypertextuality, the superposition of symbolic systems and nonlinear reality, of chance and determinism, are traced back to the work of Leibniz, Laurence Sterne and D’Alembert. Similarly to Hélène Védrine, who documented the “dark side of the Renaissance” in Les Philosophies de la Renaissance (1971), the essayists here see the issue of the absolutism/relativism polarity as the focal point in the construction of a new eighteenth century, whose ground-breaking ideas, first launched in the tentative form of the essay, acquired a quasi-canonical status in the French Encyclopaedia, and referenced other disciplinary fields (psychology, ethics, social science), entering into fertile negotiations with discursive and formal innovations in literature.

Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics

Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics
Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing
Total Pages: 392
Release: 2018-11-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9813276908

Download Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book provides an interdisciplinary perspective on one of the most fascinating and important open questions in science: What is quantum mechanics talking about? Quantum theory is perhaps our best confirmed physical theory. However, despite its great empirical effectiveness and the subsequent technological developments that it gave rise to in the 20th century, from the interpretation of the periodic table of elements to CD players, holograms and quantum state teleportation, it stands even today without a universally accepted interpretation. The novelty of the book comes from the multiple viewpoints and subjects investigated by a group of researchers from Europe and North and South America.

Current Debates in Philosophy of Science

Current Debates in Philosophy of Science
Author: Cristián Soto
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 459
Release: 2023-08-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3031323750

Download Current Debates in Philosophy of Science Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This volume collects previously unpublished contributions to the philosophy of science. What brings them together is a twofold goal: first and foremost, celebrating the name of Roberto Torretti, whose works in this and other areas have had –and continue to have– a significant impact on the international philosophy of science community; and second, the desire of advancing novel perspectives on various issues in the philosophy of science broadly construed. Roberto Torretti has made substantial contributions to current debates in the history and philosophy of science, the general philosophy of science, and the philosophy of physics and geometry. Among his landmark contributions, we find his investigations in the history and philosophy of geometry, as well as his systematic studies of Einstein's relativity theory. This volume convenes leading philosophers and early-career scholars compiling a fine collection of chapters addressing recent debates on Kantian philosophy of science, the general philosophy of science, and the history and philosophy of physics and mathematics.

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Probability, Metaphysics, Explanation And Measurement

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Probability, Metaphysics, Explanation And Measurement
Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2023-09-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9811283605

Download Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Probability, Metaphysics, Explanation And Measurement Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Quantum theory is perhaps our best confirmed theory for a description of the physical properties of nature. On top of demonstrating great empirical effectiveness, many technological developments in the 20th century (such as the interpretation of the periodic table of elements, CD players, holograms, and quantum state teleportation) were only made possible with Quantum theory.Despite its success in the past decades, even today it still remains without a universally accepted interpretation.This book provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the question; 'What is Quantum Mechanics talking about?', a question which continues to be one of the most fascinating and important questions in science.Using an interdisciplinary approach to foundational problems in Quantum Mechanics (QM), ranging from philosophical questions about the interpretation of QM to technical problems in quantum computation, this book explores quantum mechanics from different perspectives (physical, logical, philosophical and mathematical), by researchers from Europe, North America, and South America.

Individuals Across the Sciences

Individuals Across the Sciences
Author: Alexandre Guay
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2016
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0199382514

Download Individuals Across the Sciences Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Knowing what individuals are and how they can be identified is a crucial question for both philosophers and scientists. This volume explores how different sciences handle the issue of understanding individuality, and reflects back on how this scientific work relates to metaphysics itself.

Non-Reflexive Logics, Non-Individuals, and the Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics

Non-Reflexive Logics, Non-Individuals, and the Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
Author: Jonas R. B. Arenhart
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2023-09-05
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 3031318404

Download Non-Reflexive Logics, Non-Individuals, and the Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book discusses the philosophical work of Décio Krause. Non-individuality, as a new metaphysical category, was thought to be strongly supported by quantum mechanics. No one did more to promote this idea than the Brazilian philosopher Décio Krause, whose works on the metaphysics and logic of non-individuality are now widely regarded as part of the consolidated literature on the subject. This volume brings together chapters elaborating on the ideas put forward and defended by Krause, developing them in many different directions, commenting on aspects not completely developed so far, and, more importantly, critically addressing their current formulations and defenses by Krause himself. Given that Krause’s ideas do connect directly and indirectly with a wide array of subjects, such as the philosophy of quantum mechanics, more broadly understood, the philosophy of logic and logical philosophy, non-classical logics, metaphysics, and ontology, this volume contains important material for the research on logic and foundations of science, broadly understood. All the invited contributors have already worked with the ideas developed by Décio (some of them still work with them), being also distinct authors and extremely relevant in their areas of expertise. The volume is aimed at philosophers, including those of physics and quantum mechanics.

Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics

Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics
Author: Alberto Cordero
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2019-08-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030156591

Download Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This edited volume explores the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics. It features papers from venues of the International Ontology Congress (IOC) up to 2016. IOC is a worldwide platform for dialogue and reflection on the interactions between science and philosophy. The collection features philosophers as well as physicists, including David Albert, Harvey Brown, Jeffrey Bub, Otávio Bueno, James Cushing, Steven French, Victor Gomez-Pin, Carl Hoefer, Simon Kochen, Peter Lewis, Tim Maudlin, Peter Mittlestatedt, Roland Omnès, Juha Saatsi, Albert Solé, David Wallace, and Anton Zeilinger. Since the early days of quantum mechanics, philosophers have studied the subject with growing technical skill and fruitfulness. Their efforts have unveiled intellectual bridges between physics and philosophy. These connections have helped fuel the contemporary debate about the scope and limits of realism and understanding in the interpretation of physical theories and scientific theories in general. The philosophical analysis of quantum mechanics is now one of the most sophisticated and productive areas in contemporary philosophy, as the papers in this collection illustrate.