Read more
A clear account of what has been discovered in recent years about quantum theory, its counter-intuitive features - non-locality, indeterminism, intrinsic uncertainty - and what it tells us about the universe. The book also explains how these ideas have led to a new subject of limitless possibilities - quantum information theory.
List of contents
- A: Quantum theory: an introductory sketch
- 1: Quantum theory - basic ideas
- 2: Quantum theory and discreteness
- 3: The Schrödinger equation
- 4: Superposition
- 5: Further complications
- 6: Orthodox and non-orthodox interpretations of quantum theory
- B: Investigating quantum theory
- 7: Entanglement
- 8: The achievement of John Bell
- 9: Experimental philosophy: The first decade
- 10: Alain Aspect: ruling out signalling
- 11: Recent developments on Bell's inequalities
- 12: Bell's theorem without inequalities
- 13: The new age
- 14: Bell's last thoughts
- C: Quantum information theory
- 15: Knowledge, information and (a little about) quantum information
- 16: Feynman and the prehistory of quantum computation
- 17: Quantum computation
- 18: Constructing a quantum computer
- 19: More techniques in quantum information theory
About the author
Andrew Whitaker lectured at the University of Ulster from 1978-1988 before joining Queen's University Belfast where he is now Professor of Physics. For 25 years his main field of research has been on the Foundations of Quantum Theory, which has developed into the present 'hot topic' of Quantum Information Theory. Whitaker has published around 50 papers on this subject and has numerous publications on the History of Physics and Physics Education.
Summary
A clear account of what has been discovered in recent years about quantum theory, its counter-intuitive features - non-locality, indeterminism, intrinsic uncertainty - and what it tells us about the universe. The book also explains how these ideas have led to a new subject of limitless possibilities - quantum information theory.
Additional text
During this century there has been an explosion in interest in fundamental issues in quantum mechanics, especially about the mysterious properties of entanglement. Interestingly, many of these studies into the fundamentals of quantum mechanics are driven and motivated by technological quests. This book is ideally placed to tap into this genuine enthusiasm about the fundamental and applied nature of the mysteries at the heart of quantum mechanics.
