The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Historical Analysis and Open Questions Lecce, Italy 13-16 October 1998

by Garola, Claudio; Rossi, Arcangelo

• ISBN13: 9789810242626
• ISBN10: 981024262X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-04-01
• Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC PUB CO INC

Summary

This volume provides a sample of the present research on the foundations of quantum mechanics and related topics by collecting the papers of the Italian scholars who attended the conference entitled "The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics -- Historical Analysis and Open Questions" (Lecce, 1998). The perspective of the book is interdisciplinary, and hence philosophical, historical and technical papers are gathered together so as to allow the reader to compare different viewpoints and cultural approaches. Most of the papers confront, directly or indirectly, the objectivity problem, taking into account the positions of the founders of QM or more recent developments. More specifically, the technical papers in the book pay special attention to the interpretation of the experiments on Bell's inequalities and to decoherence theory, but topics on unsharp QM, the consistent-history approach, quantum probability and alternative theories are also discussed. Furthermore, a number of historical and philosophical papers are devoted to Planck's Weyl's and Pauli's thought, but topics such as quantum ontology, predictivity of quantum laws, etc., are also treated.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(18)
C. Garola
A. Rossi
Kaons and Bell's Inequality	19	(12)
A. Afriat
An Outline of an Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics	31	(20)
G. Auletta
Quantum Non-Separability and the Theory of Measurement: Two Simple Exercises and an Historical Perspective	51	(12)
S. Bergia
F. Cannata
Classical Limit: Localization Induced by Noise	63	(10)
Ph. Blanchard
M. Pasquini
M. Serva
Quantum Mechanics: The Real and the Possible	73	(10)
G. Boscarino
Planck's Quantum Theory of the First Two Decades: Historico-Critical Reflections	83	(16)
P. Campogalliani
On the Decoherence of a Free Semiclassical Positronium	99	(12)
B. Carazza
Discriminating Between QM and SED with Spin	111	(16)
G. Cavalleri
E. Tonni
Quantum Mechanics without Waves	127	(10)
M. Cini
A Stochastic Foundation of the Approach to Equilibrium of Classical and Quantum Gases	137	(14)
D. Costantini
U. Garibaldi
A Controversial Role for ``Correspondence'' in Theoretical Physics and Quantum Mechanics	151	(16)
S. D'Agostino
Which Kind of Mathematics for Quantum Mechanics? The Relevance of H. Weyl's Program of Research	167	(18)
A. Drago
Natural Kinds and Concepts of Physics	185	(12)
V. Fano
Quantum Feedback for Protection of Schrodinger Cat States	197	(10)
M. Fortunato
P. Tombesi
D. Vitali
J. M. Raimond
Is Quantum Mechanics Contextual?	207	(12)
C. Garola
The Evolution of the Concept of Correlation Function in the Researches on Einstein Locality	219	(14)
A. Garuccio
An Independent Axiomatization of Quantum MV Algebras	233	(18)
R. Giuntini
Non-Separability and Synchronicity: Pauli, Jung and A New Historical, Philosophical Perspective on Quantum Physics	251	(10)
E. A. Giannetto
F. Pozzi
Can a Non-Computable Physical Law be Considered Able to Predict?	261	(6)
S. Guccione
Objective Quantum Description of Macroscopic System	267	(14)
L. Lanz
Some Remarks on Knowledge and Probability Arising from Counterfactual Quantum Effects	281	(14)
R. Lupacchini
Hermann Weyl's Phenomenological Contribution to Quantum Physics	295	(12)
G. J. Mastrobisi
Bell Inequalities and Correlation Experiments: A Purely Particle Statistical Investigation	307	(12)
M. Minozzo
A Criterion to Assign Probabilities to Quantum Histories	319	(10)
G. Nistico
The ``Very Great Book of Nature'' The Galileian Metaphor and Quantum Mechanics Foundations	329	(14)
A. Rebaglia
The Search for Universal Constants and the Birth of Quantum Mechanics	343	(12)
N. Robotti
Random Path Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics	355	(14)
M. Roncadelli
Information and State Correlations from Classical to Quantum Physics: The Foundations Issue	369	(12)
A. Rossi
Do We Need ``Quantum'' Probability?	381	(12)
R. Scozzafava
Physical Meaning of Bell Type Inequalities	393	(14)
F. Selleri
Time Scale and Completely Positive Dynamical Evolutions	407
B. Vacchini