Survey of General Quantum Physics

C. Piron

Sujeevan Sivasundaram, Kristian Hvidtfelt Nielsen

Even though quantum mechanics has existed for almost 100 years, questions concerning the foundation and interpretation of the theory still remain. These issues have gathered more attention in recent years, but does this mean that physicists are more aware of foundational issues concerning quantum mechanics? A survey was sent out to 1234 physicists affiliated to 8 different universities. 149 responded to the questions, which both concerned foundational issues related to quantum mechanics, specifically, as well as questions concerning interpretations of physical theories in general. The answers to the survey revealed that foundational concepts in quantum mechanics are still a topic that only a minority of physicists are familiar with, although a clear majority of physicists find that interpretations of physical theories are important. The various questions, as well as how the respondents answered, are presented. The survey intends to give an overview of what the opinion of the physics community, in general, is concerning issues related to quantum mechanics.

Daniel M. Greenberger, Klaus Hentschel, Friedel Weinert

A.L. Stanford, J.M. Tanner

Arne Jensen

The International Congress on Mathematical Physics is a major conference in its field that attracts a very wide spectrum of researchers. Held every three years, it provides an overview of recent developments and achievements in mathematical physics. This volume presents the plenary lectures and invited topical session lectures from the XVIIth ICMP, which was held in Aalborg, Denmark, August 2012. It also includes additional material from the Congress. In this volume, one can find survey lectures on orthogonal polynomials, random systems, information theory in physics, several aspects of quantum field theory and quantum mechanics, general relativity, and classical and quantum dynamical systems. The topical sessions covered the following areas: •Dynamical systems, classical and quantum •Equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics •PDE and general relativity •Stochastic models and probability •Operator algebras, exactly solvable models •Quantum mechanics and spectral theory •Quantum information and computation •Quantum many-body theory and condensed matter physics •Quantum field theory •String theory and quantum gravity Readers are exposed to state-of-the-art views on mathematical physics. Several of the plenary lectures give broad surveys on recent activities, for example, in orthogonal polynomials, PDE in mathematical physics, and information theory in physics.

Безлепкин Евгений Алексеевич

The purpose of the article is to show that quantum mechanics is a synthesis of the old classical concepts and the new non-classical concepts (physics and mathematics). To illustrate the relationship of continuity between classical physics and quantum mechanics, the materials of Planck, Broglie, Schrodinger, Bohr and Dirac are considered. The author begins with a comparative study of the fundamental principles of classical and quantum physics, and concludes that, despite their opposition and irreducibility, scientists tried to adopt the principles of classical physics for constructing quantum mechanics. Survey of Planck's papers showed that Planck's formula for the blackbody spectrum containing the quantum of action is obtained as a synthesis of classical concepts and quantum concepts. Survey of Broglie's papers showed that the quantum-mechanical concept of Broglie emerged as a synthesis of the provisions of the classical (variation principles) and quantum physics (Planck's constant). Survey of Schrodinger's papers showed great generality of quantum theory in comparison with classical mechanics. Survey of Bohr's papers showed that Bohr was able to prove the basic concepts of quantum physics with the help of methodological principles. Survey of Dirac's papers showed that Dirac discovered the equivalence of Schrodinger's and Heisenberg's theories, showed that they go back to the same physical and algebraic principles, and that they can be formulated as variants of the quantum-mechanical system. The author considers the methodological features of quantum mechanics and fixes a number of methodological principles by which quantum mechanics is significantly different from classical physics. The category of quantum mechanics, on which an attempt to reconstruct the physical picture of the world based on quantum theory, is briefly discussed. On the basis of this reconstruction, there are the world picture broad categories: mass-field and space-time. The categories are related by the formula: wave-like particle moves in the classical space-time background. The first association the particles and interactions is from quantum mechanics, the second space and time from the special theory of relativity. In conclusion, a list of basic relations of quantum mechanics with classical physics is made. The development of quantum ideas resulted from direct influence of classical physics, so the main heuristic techniques to construct quantum theory are two ideas, namely, the idea of continuity and the idea of conformity which Bohr's methodological principles express. At the same time, quantum theory requires the use of classical concepts for support and verification. This is due to the restrictions imposed by the experimental technique. Thus, the author claims that quantum mechanics is a synthesis of the old classical concepts and the new non-classical concepts (physics and mathematics).