The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Dublin Seminars (1949-1955) and Other Unpublished Essays

Description

• INTRODUCTION • I 1 Interpretations or Interpretation? 1 2 The Fading of the Concept of Particle 5 3 An Ontology of \II-Waves 9 4 The Measurement Problem 13 5 Sources 18 Typographic Conventions 18 • JULY 1952 COLLOQUIUM • 19 1 Introduction 19 2 How It Came About 22 3 The Alleged Energy Balance-A Resonance Phenomenon 24 4 Removing Some Difficulties 26 S Chemistry, Photochemistry, and the Photoelectric Effect 28 6 (Individuality and Samenessl 31 7 Thermodynamics 36 . • TRANSFORMATION AND INTERPRETATION IN QUANTUM MECHANICS (C. 1952) • 39 Introductory Remark 39 1 The Wave Function; Linear Operators; Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues 40 2 The Transformation to Another Frame 44 V vi • Contents 3 The Transformation of the Wave Function 46 4 The Inte:rpretation of the Wave Function 49 5 Illustrations 54 6 (Harmonic Oscillators) 63, 7 (Interpreting the Wave Function) 70 8 (Laws and Changes with Time) 82 3 • NOTES FOR 1949 SEMINAR • 97 The Problem of Matter in Quantum Mechanics 9 7 The Nature of the Elementary Particles 99 The Difficulties in Interpreting the Blur (Quantum Uncertainty) 104 4 • NOTES FOR 1955 SEMINAR • I 09 Introduction 109 On Measuring Velocities by the Police or Race-Course Method 110 Introduction to Statistics 114 Planck-Black-Body-Radiation (Without Discontinuity!) 115 5 • FROM A LETTER TO ARTHUR S. EDDINGTON, MARCH 22ND 1940 • 121 6 • WILLIAM JAMES LECTURES • 123 1 First Lecture; Science, Philosophy and the Sensates 123 2 Second Lecture: The Technique of Measurement 131 3 Third Lecture: The Part of the Human Mind 141 • ABOUT THE BOOK • 151