We are dealing in this work with such formal and conceptual extensions of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (QM) which contain QM with its standard formalism and interpretation as a subtheory. QM is here primarily equivalently reformulated in the form of a Poisson system on the infinite-dimensional phase space consisting of all density matrices. It is shown that inclusion of additional ("nonlinear") symmetry generators (i.e. "Hamiltonians") into this reformulation of (linear) QM leads to a considerable extension of the theory: two kinds of quantum "mixed states" should be distinguished, and operator - valued functions of density matrices should be used in the role of "nonlinear observables". A general framework for physical theories is obtained in this way, containing various nonlinear versions of QM, as well as some of "approximations" to standard QM as subtheories. Questions of interpretation are considered and formally consistently solved. Specifications and illustrations, as well as mathematical Appendices and two functioning Indexes are included, making the text almost selfcontained.
We are dealing in this work with such formal and conceptual extensions of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (QM) which contain QM with its standard formalism and interpretation as a subtheory. QM is here primarily equivalently reformulated in the form of a Poisson system on the infinite-dimensional phase space consisting of all density matrices. It is shown that inclusion of additional ("nonlinear") symmetry generators (i.e. "Hamiltonians") into this reformulation of (linear) QM leads to a considerable extension of the theory: two kinds of quantum "mixed states" should be distinguished, and operator - valued functions of density matrices should be used in the role of "nonlinear observables". A general framework for physical theories is obtained in this way, containing various nonlinear versions of QM, as well as some of "approximations" to standard QM as subtheories. Questions of interpretation are considered and formally consistently solved. Specifications and illustrations, as well as mathematical Appendices and two functioning Indexes are included, making the text almost selfcontained.
The work can be considered as an essay on mathematical and conceptual structure of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (QM) which is related here to some other (more general, but also to more special and “approximative”) theories. QM is here primarily reformulated in an equivalent form of a Poisson system on the phase space consisting of density matrices, where the “observables”, as well as “symmetry generators” are represented by a specific type of real valued (densely defined) functions, namely the usual quantum expectations of corresponding selfadjoint operators. It is shown in this paper that inclusion of additional (“nonlinear”) symmetry generators (i.e. “Hamiltonians”) into this reformulation of (linear) QM leads to a considerable extension of the theory: two kinds of quantum “mixed states” should be distinguished, and operator ‐ valued functions of density matrices should be used in the r ˆ ole of “nonlinear observables”. A general framework for physical theories is obtained in this way: By different choices of the sets of “nonlinear observables” we obtain, as special cases, e.g. classical mechanics on homogeneous spaces of kinematical symmetry groups, standard (linear) QM, or nonlinear extensions of QM; also various “quasiclassical approximations” to QM are all subtheories of the presented extension of QM - a version of the extended quantum mechanics (EQM). A general interpretation scheme of EQM extending the usual statistical interpretation of QM is also proposed. Eventually, EQM is shown to be (included into) a C -algebraic (hence linear) quantum theory. Mathematical formulation of these theories is presented. The presentation includes an analysis of problems connected with differentiation on infinite ‐ dimensional manifolds, as well as a solution of some problems connected with the work with only densely defined unbounded real‐valued functions on the (infinite dimensional) “phase space” which correspond to unbounded operators (generators) and to their nonlinear generalizations. Also “nonlinear deformations” of unitary representations of kinematical symmetry Lie groups are introduced. Possible applications are briefly discussed, and some specific examples are presented. The text contains also brief reviews of Hamiltonian classical mechanics, as well as of QM. Mathematical appendices make the paper nearly selfcontained.
Quantum mechanics (QM) is not just a theory of micro-objects: it is our current fundamental theory of motion. It expresses a deeper understanding of Nature than classical mechanics. Precisely as classical mechanics, the conventional formulation of QM describes evolution of states and observables in time. Precisely as classical mechanics, this is not sufficient to deal with general relativistic systems, because these systems do not describe evolution in time; they describe correlations between observables. Therefore, a formulation of QM slightly more general than the conventional one – or a quantum version of the relativistic classical mechanics discussed in the previous chapter – is needed. In this chapter I discuss the possibility of such a formulation. In the last section I discuss the general physical interpretation of QM. QM can be formulated in a number of more or less equivalent formalisms: canonical (Hilbert spaces and self-adjoint operators), covariant (Feynman's sum-over-histories), algebraic (states as linear functionals over an abstract algebra of observables) and others. Generally, but not always, we are able to translate these formalisms into one another, but often what is easy in one formulation is difficult in another. A generalrelativistic sum-over-histories formalism has been developed by Jim Hartle. Here I focus on the canonical formalism, because the canonical formalism has provided the mathematical completeness and precision needed to explicitly construct the mathematical apparatus of quantum gravity. Later I will consider alternative formalisms.
This book represents a concise summary of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics for physics students at the university level. The text covers essential topics, from general mathematical formalism to specific applications. The formulation of quantum theory is explained and supported with illustrations of the general concepts of elementary quantum systems. In addition to traditional topics of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics - including single-particle dynamics, symmetries, semiclassical and perturbative approximations, density-matrix formalism, scattering theory, and the theory of angular momentum - the book also covers modern issues, among them quantum entanglement, decoherence, measurement, nonlocality, and quantum information. Historical context and chronology of basic achievements is also outlined in explanatory notes. Ideal as a supplement to classroom lectures, the book can also serve as a compact and comprehensible refresher of elementary quantum theory for more advanced students.
We expound an alternative to the Copenhagen interpretation of the formalism of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. The basic difference is that the new interpretation is formulated in the language of epistemological realism. It involves a change in some basic physical concepts. The ψ function is no longer interpreted as a probability amplitude of the observed behavior of an elementary particle but as an objective physical field representing the particle itself. The particles are thus extended objects whose extension varies in time according to the variation of ψ. They are considered as fundamental regions of space with no internal structure. This implies some kind of nonlocality. Symmetrization of the configuration space wave function is interpreted as a mathematical description of a physical process, which also leads to nonlocal effects. Special consideration
The mathematical formalism of quantum theory in terms of vectors and operators in infinite-dimensional complex vector spaces is very abstract. The definitions of many mathematical quantities used do not seem to have an intuitive meaning, which makes it difficult to appreciate the mathematical formalism and understand quantum mechanics. This book provides intuition and motivation to the mathematics of quantum theory, introducing the mathematics in its simplest and familiar form, for instance, with three-dimensional vectors and operators, which can be readily understood. Feeling confident about and comfortable with the mathematics used helps readers appreciate and understand the concepts and formalism of quantum mechanics. This book is divided into four parts. Part I is a brief review of the general properties of classical and quantum systems. A general discussion of probability theory is also included which aims to help in understanding the probability theories relevant to quantum mechanics. Part II is a detailed study of the mathematics for quantum mechanics. Part III presents quantum mechanics in a series of postulates. Six groups of postulates are presented to describe orthodox quantum systems. Each statement of a postulate is supplemented with a detailed discussion. To make them easier to understand, the postulates for discrete observables are presented before those for continuous observables. Part IV presents several illustrative applications, which include harmonic and isotropic oscillators, charged particle in external magnetic fields and the Aharonov–Bohm effect. For easy reference, definitions, theorems, examples, comments, properties and results are labelled with section numbers. Various symbols and notations are adopted to distinguish different quantities explicitly and to avoid misrepresentation. Self-contained both mathematically and physically, the book is accessible to a wide readership, including astrophysicists, mathematicians and philosophers of science who are interested in the foundations of quantum mechanics.
Formulations of quantum mechanics (QM) can be characterized as realistic, operationalist, or a combination of the two. In this paper a realistic theory is defined as describing a closed system entirely by means of entities and concepts pertaining to the system. An operationalist theory, on the other hand, requires in addition entities external to the system. A realistic formulation comprises an ontology, the set of (mathematical) entities that describe the system, and assertions, the set of correct statements (predictions) the theory makes about the objects in the ontology. Classical mechanics is the prime example of a realistic physical theory. A straightforward generalization of classical mechanics to QM is hampered by the inconsistency of quantum properties with classical logic, a circumstance that was noted many years ago by Birkhoff and von Neumann. The present realistic formulation of the histories approach originally introduced by Griffiths, which we call 'compatible quantum theory (CQT)', consists of a 'microscopic' part (MIQM), which applies to a closed quantum system of any size, and a 'macroscopic' part (MAQM), which requires the participation of a large (ideally, an infinite) system. The first (MIQM) can be fully formulated based solely on the assumption of a Hilbert space ontology and the noncontextuality of probability values, relying in an essential way on Gleason's theorem and on an application to dynamics due in large part to Nistico. Thus, the present formulation, in contrast to earlier ones, derives the Born probability formulas and the consistency (decoherence) conditions for frameworks. The microscopic theory does not, however, possess a unique corpus of assertions, but rather a multiplicity of contextual truths ('c-truths'), each one associated with a different framework. This circumstance leads us to consider the microscopic theory to be physically indeterminate and therefore incomplete, though logically coherent. The completion of the theory requires a macroscopic mechanism for selecting a physical framework, which is part of the macroscopic theory (MAQM). The selection of a physical framework involves the breaking of the microscopic 'framework symmetry', which can proceed either phenomenologically as in the standard quantum measurement theory, or more fundamentally by considering the quantum system under study to be a subsystem of a macroscopic quantum system. The decoherent histories formulation of Gell-Mann and Hartle, as well as that of Omnès, are theories of this fundamental type, where the physical framework is selected by a coarse-graining procedure in which the physical phenomenon of decoherence plays an essential role. Various well-known interpretations of QM are described from the perspective of CQT. Detailed definitions and proofs are presented in the appendices.