Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Dr Willem M. de Muynck associate professor, retired from and presently guest at Theoretical Physics Department of Applied Physics Eindhoven University of Technology P.O.B. 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven the Netherlands Phone: +31 40 2474351 Fax: +31 40 2445253 E-mail: W.M.d.Muynck@tue.nl

Contents of this home page

Quantum mechanics the way I see it

Main publications

Page last updated November 17 2009 

• Introduction
  
• Standard formalism of quantum mechanics
  
  • Von Neumann's projection postulate
  • Relative frequencies
  • (In)compatibility of observables
• Quantum mechanics and reality
  
• Quantum mechanics and observation
  
• Quantum mechanics and measurement
  
  • Quantum mechanical description of pre-measurement
  • Measurements of the first and second kind
• Realist versus empiricist interpretation of quantum mechanics
  
  • Realist interpretation of quantum mechanics
    
  • Empiricist interpretation of quantum mechanics
    
  • Reasons to prefer a realist interpretation of quantum mechanics
  • Reasons to prefer an empiricist interpretation of quantum mechanics
    
• Realist versus instrumentalist interpretation of quantum mechanics
  
• Ontic versus epistemic interpretation of quantum mechanics
  
• Individual-particle versus ensemble interpretation of the quantum mechanical state vector (or wave function)
  
  • Individual-particle interpretations of the quantum mechanical state vector
    • The Schrödinger cat paradox
  • Ensemble interpretations of the quantum mechanical state vector
    • Counterfactual definiteness
  • Homogeneous and inhomogeneous ensembles
    • The minimal interpretation
    • Von Neumann's interpretation
    • The `statistical' interpretation
    • Explanation by means of subensembles
• Quantum mechanics and logical positivism
  
  • (In)completeness of quantum mechanics
    • (In)completeness in the wider sense
  • Theory-(in)dependence of measurement
• The "measurement problem"
  
  • Possible solutions to the "measurement problem"
    • Solution by means of von Neumann ensembles
    • The "unobservability" solution
    • The decoherence solution
    • Solution by adopting an ensemble interpretation
• Conditional preparation
  
• Generalized formalism of quantum mechanics
  
  • Necessity of the generalized formalism of quantum mechanics
    
  • Some illustrations of the necessity of a generalized formalism
    
    • Inefficient photon detection
    • The double-slit experiment
    • Polarization measurements
    • Joint nonideal measurement of incompatible polarization observables
  • Nonideal measurements
    
  • Joint measurement of generalized observables
    
    • Commeasurability of (generalized) observables
    • Joint nonideal measurement of (generalized) observables
    • Complementarity in a joint nonideal measurement of incompatible observables
      • Martens inequality
• The Copenhagen (orthodox) interpretation
  
  • The quantum postulate
    
  • The Copenhagen completeness thesis
    
  • The correspondence principle
    
  • Complementarity
    
    • Particle-wave duality
    • Heisenberg's disturbance theory of measurement
    • The Heisenberg-Kennard-Robertson inequalities
    • Entropic uncertainty relations
  • Copenhagen confusion of preparation and measurement
    
• The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) problem
  
  • The EPR reasoning
    
  • Bohr's answer to EPR
    
  • Einstein's reaction to Bohr's answer
    
  • EPR nonlocality and experiment
    
  • EPR nonlocality and interpretations
    
• The Bell inequalities in quantum mechanics
  
  • The Bell inequalities
    
  • The BCHS inequalities
    
  • Derivation of the Bell inequalities from the `possessed values' principle
  • Bell inequalities and counterfactual definiteness
  • Bell inequalities and nonlocality
  • The Bell inequalities in the generalized formalism
    
• Hidden-variables or subquantum theories
  
  • Bohm's hidden-variables theory
    
  • Stochastic hidden-variables theories
    
  • Quantum mechanics as a theory of equilibrium processes