[Jeffrey A. Barrett ,Peter Byrne]The Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Collected Works 1955-1980(pdf){Zzzzz}

Review
"What can be said without dispute is that the present editors have done an excellent job in presenting the available material. Their book can be highly recommended to physicists in each of the two parallel branches of the mental universe!"--Peter J. Bussey, Contemporary Physics "This book will be very useful for historians as well any philosophers working on the development of interpretations of quantum theory."--K.-E. Hellwig, Zentralblatt MATH "[T]he book is a mandatory read for anyone interested in the history of the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The editors have skillfully grouped the material according to both chronological order and topical concern, and have added a fair amount of useful annotation, assisting the reader without being overly intrusive. Short but expertly written introductions provide necessary context on the biographical and conceptual dimensions. The book is also a fascinating and rewarding read."--Tilman Sauer, British Journal for the History of Science

Product Description

Hugh Everett III was an American physicist best known for his many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, which formed the basis of his PhD thesis at Princeton University in 1957. Although counterintuitive, Everett's revolutionary formulation of quantum mechanics offers the most direct solution to the infamous quantum measurement problem--that is, how and why the singular world of our experience emerges from the multiplicities of alternatives available in the quantum world. The many-worlds interpretation postulates the existence of multiple universes. Whenever a measurement-like interaction occurs, the universe branches into relative states, one for each possible outcome of the measurement, and the world in which we find ourselves is but one of these many, but equally real, possibilities. Everett's challenge to the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics was met with scorn from Niels Bohr and other leading physicists, and Everett subsequently abandoned academia to conduct military operations research. Today, however, Everett's formulation of quantum mechanics is widely recognized as one of the most controversial but promising physical theories of the last century.

In this book, Jeffrey Barrett and Peter Byrne present the long and short versions of Everett's thesis along with a collection of his explanatory writings and correspondence. These primary source documents, many of them newly discovered and most unpublished until now, reveal how Everett's thinking evolved from his days as a graduate student to his untimely death in 1982. This definitive volume also features Barrett and Byrne's introductory essays, notes, and commentary that put Everett's extraordinary theory into historical and scientific perspective and discuss the puzzles that still remain.

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0691145075
Publisher: Princeton University Press (20 May 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B007BOKL98

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Undiscovered Treasure 20 April 2013
By Tim Josling -
Like many people I found aspects of Quantum Mechanics bewildering. What is this indeterminacy? What is the collapse of the wave function exactly? Why does QM require a "classical" measurement apparatus? Why is there no quantum theory of measurement? There are various proposed solutions, but most people tell you "just shut up and calculate". I was aware of the many worlds theory that Hugh Everett came up with but it seemed too weird.

This book includes background material on Everett's sad life and untimely death, and on the physics he did and the physics world at the time (1950s). It includes his original PhD thesis, and the much shorter final version which was toned down to placate Niels Bohr, the reigning supremo in Quantum Physics at the time. There are also letters and conference transcripts, which provide a lot of useful clarification and background. I read it from cover to cover without a break; it was just so absorbing and fascinating.

After reading this book I think Hugh Everett actually solved the measurement problem in QM in the mid 1950s. Later descriptions of his theory do not do it justice. Specifically he mathematically derived Niels Bohr's measurement postulate from the wave equation and some very minimal and plausible assumptions about probability. He removed the need for the "spooky action at a distance" that so bothered Einstein. He created a theory of measurement, and solved the "Schrodinger's Cat" problem, and the problem of "Wigner's friend." His theory has fewer assumptions than standard QM and has none of the philosophical conundrums. It is also valid for relativistic quantum field theory and (I think) the quantum theories of the weak force and the strong force as well.

Two problems have stopped the theory from being accepted. First, it is an implicit criticism of Bohr's Copenhagen Interpretation, and thus offended Bohr and his minions who did their best to discredit him. Second, his theory implies that our sense of reality and facts is not the whole story. Thus the characterization of his theory as the "many worlds" interpretation of QM. In fact he maintains that there is only one world, but they we see only one slice of it. Other slices exist that we do not have access to. Many people find it implausible for this reason, just as many people found Copernicus's theories about the earth revolving around the sun implausible because they conflicted with the "obvious fact" that the earth is not moving. But if you can get your head past this issue, it is, in my opinion, compelling.

If you have pondered what does QM mean or you are bothered by some of the paradoxes of QM, this is definitely a book to read. It requires a basic understanding of the theory, to 2nd or third year physics level.