Alternative Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Edwin F. Taylor

This sample class presents an alternative to the conventional introduction to quantum mechanics and describes its current use in a credit course. This alternative introduction rests on theory presented in professional and popular writings by Richard Feynman. Feynman showed that Nature gives a simple command to the electron: “Explore all paths.” All of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, among other fundamental results, comes from this command. With a desktop computer the student points and clicks to tell a modeled electron which paths to follow. The computer then shows the results, which embody the elemental strangeness and paradoxical behaviors of the world of the very small. Feynman’s approach requires few equations and provides a largely non-mathematical introduction to the wave function of conventional quantum mechanics. Draft software and materials already used for two semesters in an e-mail computer conference credit university course show that Feynman’s approach works well with a variety of students. The sample class explores computer and written material and describes the next steps in its development.

J.J. Fiol, R. G. Pregliasco, Inés Samengo +1 more

We discuss an alternative classical description of the nonrelativistic scattering process that is completely analogous to the time-independent formalism employed in quantum-mechanics textbooks. This approach provides an elementary introduction to the standard stationary scattering theory, embodying many of its essential concepts.

Harald J W Müller-Kirsten

Y. B. Band, Y. Avishai

Jarosław Adam Miszczak

We present a concise introduction of basic concepts in quantum information theory and quantum mechanics prepared as an introduction for a general audience. In our approach the rules of quantum mechanics are presented in a simple form of rules describing the method of constructing quantum objects corresponding to classical objects. As a byproduct of the introduced approach, we present some alternative rules and use them to describe basic ingredients of quantum information theory using different types of objects.