Edwin T Jaynes, the well known American scientist and educator, has made seminal contributions to several branches of physics and probability theory. This volume commemorates his extraordinarily diverse career in a collection of essays on topics ranging from the kinematics of complex wavefunctions to radar target identification. The book contains 23 papers written by former students, distinguished colleagues and by Jaynes himself, based on lectures presented at a symposium celebrating Jaynes' 70th birthday and official retirement.
Edwin T Jaynes, the well known American scientist and educator, has made seminal contributions to several branches of physics and probability theory. This volume commemorates his extraordinarily diverse career in a collection of essays on topics ranging from the kinematics of complex wavefunctions to radar target identification. The book contains 23 papers written by former students, distinguished colleagues and by Jaynes himself, based on lectures presented at a symposium celebrating Jaynes' 70th birthday and official retirement.
The pioneering work of Edwin T. Jaynes in the field of statistical physics, quantum optics, and probability theory has had a significant and lasting effect on the study of many physical problems, ranging from fundamental theoretical questions through to practical applications such as optical image restoration. Physics and Probability is a collection of papers in these areas by some of his many colleagues and former students, based largely on lectures given at a symposium celebrating Jaynes' contributions, on the occasion of his seventieth birthday and retirement as Wayman Crow Professor of Physics at Washington University. The collection contains several authoritative overviews of current research on maximum entropy and quantum optics, where Jaynes' work has been particularly influential, as well as reports on a number of related topics. In the concluding paper, Jaynes looks back over his career, and gives encouragement and sound advice to young scientists. All those engaged in research on any of the topics discussed in these papers will find this a useful and fascinating collection, and a fitting tribute to an outstanding and innovative scientist.
Preface 1. Recollection of an independent thinker Joel A. Snow 2. A look back: early applications of maximum entropy estimation to quantum statistical mechanics D. J. Scalapino 3. The Jaynes-Cummings revival B. W. Shore and P. L. Knight 4. The Jaynes-Cummings model and the one-atom-master H. Walther 5. The Jaynes-Cummings model is alive and well P. Meystre 6. Self-consistent radiation reaction in quantum optics - Jaynes' influence and a new example in cavity QED J. H. Eberly 7. Enhancing the index of refraction in a nonabsorbing medium: phaseonium versus a mixture of two-level atoms M. O. Scully, T. W. Hansch, M. Fleischhauer, C. H. Keitel and Shi-Yao Zhu 8. Ed Jaynes' steak dinner problem II Michael D. Crisp 9. Source theory of vacuum field effects Peter W. Milonni 10. The natural line shape Edwin A. Power 11. An operational approach to Schrodinger's cat L. Mandel 12. The classical limit of an atom C. R. Stroud, Jr. 13. Mutual radiation reaction in spontaneous emission Richard J. Cook 14. A model of neutron star dynamics F. W. Cummings 15. The kinematic origin of complex wave function David Hestenes 16. On radar target identification C. Ray Smith 17. On the difference in means G. Larry Bretthorst 18. Bayesian analysis, model selection and prediction Arnold Zellner and Chung-ki Min 19. Bayesian numerical analysis John Skilling 20. Quantum statistical inference R. N. Silver 21. Application of the maximum entropy principle to nonlinear systems far from equilibrium H. Haken 22. Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics Baldwin Robertson 23. A backward look to the future E. T. James Appendix. Vita and bibliography of Edwin T. Jaynes Index.
The universe we live in is both strange and interesting. This strangeness comes about because, at the most fundamental level, the universe is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. This is the most spectacularly accurate and powerful theory ever devised, one that has given us insights into many aspects of the world, from the structure of matter to the meaning of information. This textbook provides a comprehensive account of all things quantum. It starts by introducing the wavefunction and its interpretation as an ephemeral wave of complex probability, before delving into the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and exploring its diverse applications, from atomic physics and scattering, to quantum computing. Designed to be accessible, this volume is suitable for both students and researchers, beginning with the basics before progressing to more advanced topics.
The universe we live in is both strange and interesting. This strangeness comes about because, at the most fundamental level, the universe is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. This is the most spectacularly accurate and powerful theory ever devised, one that has given us insights into many aspects of the world, from the structure of matter to the meaning of information. This textbook provides a comprehensive account of all things quantum. It starts by introducing the wavefunction and its interpretation as an ephemeral wave of complex probability, before delving into the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and exploring its diverse applications, from atomic physics and scattering, to quantum computing. Designed to be accessible, this volume is suitable for both students and researchers, beginning with the basics before progressing to more advanced topics.
The universe we live in is both strange and interesting. This strangeness comes about because, at the most fundamental level, the universe is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. This is the most spectacularly accurate and powerful theory ever devised, one that has given us insights into many aspects of the world, from the structure of matter to the meaning of information. This textbook provides a comprehensive account of all things quantum. It starts by introducing the wavefunction and its interpretation as an ephemeral wave of complex probability, before delving into the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and exploring its diverse applications, from atomic physics and scattering, to quantum computing. Designed to be accessible, this volume is suitable for both students and researchers, beginning with the basics before progressing to more advanced topics.
The universe we live in is both strange and interesting. This strangeness comes about because, at the most fundamental level, the universe is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. This is the most spectacularly accurate and powerful theory ever devised, one that has given us insights into many aspects of the world, from the structure of matter to the meaning of information. This textbook provides a comprehensive account of all things quantum. It starts by introducing the wavefunction and its interpretation as an ephemeral wave of complex probability, before delving into the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and exploring its diverse applications, from atomic physics and scattering, to quantum computing. Designed to be accessible, this volume is suitable for both students and researchers, beginning with the basics before progressing to more advanced topics.