Understanding Quantum Raffles: Quantum Mechanics on an Informational Approach: Structure and Interpretation (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science Book 340)

✍ Scribed by Michael Janas

• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 267
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book offers a thorough technical elaboration and philosophical defense of an objectivist informational interpretation of quantum mechanics according to which its novel content is located in its kinematical framework, that is, in how the theory describes systems independently of the specifics of their dynamics. It will be of interest to researchers and students in the philosophy of physics and in theoretical physics with an interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics. Additionally, parts of the book may be used as the basis for courses introducing non-physics majors to quantum mechanics, or for self-study by those outside of the university with an interest in quantum mechanics. With a Foreword by Jeffrey Bub.  -- “ Understanding Quantum Raffles is a wonderful book for both the specialists and those with curious minds. The elegance and the simplicity with which the 'three Mikes' explain some of the deepest aspects of quantum mechanics on the basis of probabilities and correlations are dazzling and delightful. The same elegance and simplicity also make the book ideal for any engaged reader who ever wondered what is so special about quantum mechanics. In our age of new quantum technologies, this is something anyone should read.” ( Guido Bacciagaluppi , author of Quantum Theory at the Crossroads)   “This book makes a sustained argument for an informational interpretation of quantum theory, blending an elegant mathematical characterisation of quantum correlations with incisive historical and philosophical analysis. A must-read for those interested in quantum foundations, and also a fertile source of teaching inspiration for quantum theory.” ( Leah Henderson , Department of Theoretical Philosophy, University of Groningen ) “This is one of the most fascinating and accessible presentations of the informational approach to quantum mechanics. What has so far been mostly restricted to the theoretical physics community is here masterfully explained for a broader audience even without a physics background. Scholars, students, and laypeople alike will appreciate the clear, vivid, and yet deep discussion of what raffle tickets and correlation elliptopes can tell us about the physics and philosophy of the quantum world.” ( Markus Müller , Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Vienna)

✦ Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Representing distant correlations by correlation arrays and polytopes
2.1 Taking Mermin to Bananaworld
2.2 Correlations found when peeling and tasting pairs of quantum bananas
2.3 Non-signaling correlation arrays
2.4 The non-signaling cube, the classical tetrahedron and the quantum elliptope
2.5 Raffles meant to simulate the quantum correlations and the classical tetrahedron
2.6 The quantum correlations and the elliptope
2.6.1 Getting beyond the classical tetrahedron: the elliptope inequality
2.6.2 The quantum correlation array: the singlet state and the Born rule
Chapter 3: The elliptope and the geometry of correlations
3.1 The Pearson correlation coefficient and the elliptope inequality
3.2 Why the quantum correlations saturate the elliptope
3.3 Why our raffles do not saturate the elliptope
3.4 The geometry of correlations: from Pearson and Yule to Fisher and De Finetti
Chapter 4: Generalization to singlet state of two particles with higher spin
4.1 The quantum correlations
4.1.1 Quantum formalism for one spin-s particle
4.1.2 Quantum formalism for two spin-s particles in the singlet state
4.1.3 Wigner d-matrices and correlation arrays in the spin-s case
4.1.4 Non-signaling in the spin-s case
4.1.5 Anti-correlation coefficients in the spin-s case
4.1.6 Cell symmetries in the spin-s case
4.2 Designing raffles to simulate the quantum correlations
4.2.1 Spin-1/2
4.2.2 Spin-1
4.2.3 Spin-3/2
4.2.4 Spin-s (s>2)
Chapter 5: Correlation arrays, polytopes and the CHSH inequality
Chapter 6: Interpreting quantum mechanics
6.1 The story so far
6.2 From within and from without
6.3 The new kinematics of quantum theory
6.4 Examples of problems solved by the new kinematics
6.5 Measurement
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Bibliography