The Oxford Handbook of the History of Quantum Interpretations

Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

  • Olival Freire (Editor)
  • Guido Bacciagaluppi (Editor)
  • Olivier Darrigol (Editor)
  • Thiago Hartz (Editor)
  • Joas, Christian Benjamin (Editor)
  • Alexei Kojevnikov (Editor)
  • Osvaldo Pessoa (Editor)
Quantum mechanics approaches its centenary with an impressive record. It became the backbone of most research in physics, led to applications such as the transistor and laser, and prompted an upheaval in the philosophy of science. Its scope and its precision have been constantly growing, and it is now promising more powerful computers and safer cryptography. This century of conquests has also been a time of ongoing debates about the foundations and interpretation of the theory, which has been referred to as the quantum controversy. The controversy has been unusually long and remains open. Jammer called it “a story without an ending” and Laloë described this coexistence of successes and doubts with the metaphor of the colossus with feet of clay. This Handbook is a survey on this history. Some of the so-called “interpretations” are not interpretations of a fixed formalism, they are different theories, thus it has been a debate about the interpretations and the foundations of quantum mechanics. In this volume, the “history of interpretations” is used for the sake of brevity. The successive parts of the Handbook deal with the scientific and philosophical issues under debate, historical landmarks, places and contexts, historical and philosophical theses, and the proliferation of interpretations. This Handbook may serve those interested in the history of quantum mechanics and those who are engaged with, or attracted by current research on quantum information, as it may give them a flavor of the history that led to or lay the groundwork for the current investigations.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationOxford
PublisherOxford University Press
Number of pages1,312
ISBN (Print)9780198844495
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

ID: 300940834