ABSTRACT

As probably the most successful scientific theory ever created, quantum theory has profoundly changed our view of the world and extended the limits of our knowledge, impacting both the theoretical interpretation of a tremendous range of phenomena and the practical development of a host of technological breakthroughs. Yet for all its success, quantum theory remains utterly baffling.

Quantum Reality: Theory and Philosophy, Second Edition cuts through much of the confusion to provide readers with an exploration of quantum theory that is as authoritatively comprehensive as it is intriguingly comprehensible. The book has been fully updated throughout to include the latest results in quantum entanglement, the theory and practical applications of quantum computing, quantum cosmology and quantum gravity. Needing little more than a school level physics and mathematics background, this volume requires only an interest in understanding how quantum theory came to be and the myriad ways it both explains how our universe functions and extends the reach of human knowledge.

Written by well-known physics author and teacher Dr. Jonathan Allday, this highly engaging work:

• Presents a thorough grounding in the theoretical machinery of quantum physics

• Offers a whistle-stop tour through the early part of the 20th century when the founding fathers of quantum theory forever altered the frontiers of human thought

• Provides an example-filled interpretation of the theory, its applications, and its pinnacle in quantum field theory (QFT), so crucial in shaping ideas about the nature of reality

• Separates fact from speculation regarding quantum physics’ ability to provide a starting point for philosophical queries into ultimate understanding and the limits of science

The world beneath the one that we experience with our senses is profoundly mysterious, and while we may never completely unravel that mystery, quantum theory allows us to come closer than ever to understanding where the science leaves off and the mystery begins. Quantum Reality: Theory and Philosophy, Second Edition makes that understanding accessible to anyone possessing a quest for knowledge and a sense of awe.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

part |225 pages

Part 1

chapter 2|12 pages

Particles

chapter 3|19 pages

Quantum States

chapter 4|9 pages

Amplitudes

chapter 5|12 pages

Measurement

chapter 6|13 pages

Interference

chapter 7|8 pages

Free Particles

chapter 8|16 pages

Identical Particles

chapter 9|12 pages

Scattering Identical Bosons

chapter 10|15 pages

Spin

chapter 11|19 pages

Fermion States

chapter 12|17 pages

Continuous Bases

chapter 13|10 pages

Uncertainty

chapter 15|25 pages

Constrained Particles

part |54 pages

Part 2

chapter 16|3 pages

Genealogy

chapter 17|9 pages

Planck and Einstein

chapter 18|12 pages

Bohr

chapter 19|7 pages

Heisenberg

chapter 20|8 pages

De Broglie & Schrödinger

chapter 21|7 pages

Dirac

chapter 22|2 pages

Conclusions

part |190 pages

Part 3

chapter 23|23 pages

Quantum Correlations

chapter 24|14 pages

Quantum Computing

chapter 25|10 pages

Density Operators

chapter 26|18 pages

Interpretations

chapter 27|19 pages

The Copenhagen Interpretation

chapter 28|19 pages

The Many Worlds Interpretation

chapter 29|7 pages

Assorted Alternatives

chapter 30|24 pages

Consistent Histories

chapter 31|18 pages

The Ontological Interpretation

chapter 32|26 pages

Quantum Field Theory

chapter 33|6 pages

Personal Conclusions