Heisenberg's Matrix Mechanics and Dirac's Re-creation of it

永义 黄

Christian DE RONDE, Raimundo Fernández Mouján, César Massri

In this work we discuss the establishment of Standard Quantum Mechanics (SQM) developed through Schrödinger's and Dirac's wave-vectorial reformulations of Heisenberg's original matrix mechanics. We will argue that while Heisenberg's approach was consistently developed -- taking as a standpoint the intensive patterns that were observed in the lab -- as an invariant-operational formalism, Dirac's axiomatic re-formulation was, instead, developed -- taking as a standpoint Schrödinger's wave mechanics and the methodological guide of Bohr and logical positivists -- as an essentially inconsistent "recipe" intended (but unable) to predict (binary) measurement outcomes. Leaving SQM behind and attempting to restore the consistent and coherent account of a real state of affairs, we will present a new tensorial proposal which -- taking as a standpoint Heisenberg's original approach -- will prove capable not only to extend the matrix formalism to a tensorial representation but also to account for new experimental phenomena.

Alexander Komech

Robert Golub, S. K. Lamoreaux

Abstract This conference was lauded by Heisenberg as, “officially, the completion of the quantum theory,” while Langevin remarked it was, “where the confusion of ideas reached its peak.” The conference was held just as the theory had reached maturity, only two years after Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics was invented. De Broglie argued for his pilot wave theory, which was shot down by Pauli using an incorrect argument and in later years was re-introduced as the de Broglie–Bohm theory. Heisenberg and Dirac debated the meaning of superposition and the “collapse” of the wave function. Bohr and Einstein engaged in their legendary debate. In the conference proceedings, we see the main contributors to the new theory attempt to come to terms with its enigmas.

Mohsen Razavy