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Symbol and Physical Knowledge
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 239

Symbol and Physical Knowledge

Introduces the problem of the symbolic structure of physics, surveys the modern history of symbols, proceeds to an epistemological discussion of the role of symbols in our knowledge of nature, and addresses key issues related to the methodology of physics and the character of its symbolic structures.

Philosophy, Mathematics and Modern Physics
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 249

Philosophy, Mathematics and Modern Physics

In recent times a new dialogue has begun between the natural sciences and the humanities. This is particularly true of physics and philosophy, whose sphere of mutual interest expanded significantly with the advent of quantum mechanics. Among other topics, the discussion covers the evolution of theories, the role of mathematics in the physical sciences, the perception and cognition of nature and definitions of space and time. In contrast to the custom of the last two centuries, mathematics - the language of physics - is once again finding a respected place in the discourse of philosophers. The interdisciplinary communication between philosophers, mathematicians and physicists will be given new impetus by the thoughtful and wide-ranging contributions to this book.

From Quantum to Classical
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 314

From Quantum to Classical

Quantum theory is at the foundation of the physical description of our world. One of the people who contributed significantly to our conceptual understanding of this theory was Heinz-Dieter Zeh (1932-2018). He was the pioneer of the process of decoherence, through which the classical appearance of our world can be understood. This volume presents a collection of essays dedicated to his memory, written by distinguished scientists and scholars. They cover all aspects of the interpretation of quantum theory in general and the quantum-to-classical transition in particular. This volume provides illuminating reading to anyone seeking a deep understanding of quantum theory and its relevance to the foundations of physics.

Alternative Logics. Do Sciences Need Them?
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 396

Alternative Logics. Do Sciences Need Them?

Initially proposed as rivals of classical logic, alternative logics have become increasingly important in sciences such as quantum physics, computer science, and artificial intelligence. The contributions collected in this volume address and explore the question whether the usage of logic in the sciences, especially in modern physics, requires a deviation from classical mathematical logic. The articles in the first part of the book set the scene by describing the context and the dilemma when applying logic in science. In part II the authors offer several logics that deviate in different ways from classical logics. The twelve papers in part III investigate in detail specific aspects such as q...

Quantum Thermodynamics
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 318

Quantum Thermodynamics

This extended tutorial essay views thermodynamics as an incomplete description of quantum systems with many degrees of freedom. The main goal is to show that the approach to equilibrium - with equilibrium characterized by maximum ignorance about the open system of interest - neither requires that many particles nor is it a precise way of partitioning relevant for the salient features of equilibrium and equilibration. Moreover it is indeed quantum effects that are at work in bringing about universal thermodynamic behaviour of modestly sized open systems. Von Neumann`s concept of entropy thus proves to be much more widely useful than something to be feared, and far beyond truly macroscopic systems in equilibrium.

Decoherence and the Appearance of a Classical World in Quantum Theory
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 371

Decoherence and the Appearance of a Classical World in Quantum Theory

Decoherence, a concept known only to few physicists when the first edition appeared in 1996, has since become firmly established experimentally and understood theoretically, as well as widely reported in the literature. The major consequences of decoherence are the emergence of "classicality" in general, superselection rules, the border line between microscopic and macroscopic behavior in molecules and field theory, the emergence of classical spacetime, and the appearance of quantum jumps. The most important new developments in this rapidly evolving field are included in the second edition of this book, which has become a standard reference on the subject. All chapters have been thoroughly r...

Lattice Fermions and Structure of the Vacuum
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 377

Lattice Fermions and Structure of the Vacuum

Among the key problems in modern field theory are the formulation of chiral group theories on the lattice and the quantitative understanding of the quark confinement mechanism. The two topics are closely related by the fact that the chiral nature of the fermions as well as the confinement force are largely topological in origin. Recent advances in this field are here reviewed by some of the world's experts.

Determinism, Holism, and Complexity
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 424

Determinism, Holism, and Complexity

This volume is the proceedings of a workshop to discuss the recent work on complex systems in physics and biology, its epistemological and cultural implications, and its effect for the development of these two sciences. The workshop is geared towards physicists, biologists, and science historians.

Time, Temporality, Now
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 393

Time, Temporality, Now

The essays in this topical volume inquire into one of the most fundamental issues of philosophy and of the cognitive and natural sciences: the riddle of time. The central feature is the tension between the experience and the conceptualization of time, reflecting an apparently unavoidable antinomy of subjective first-person accounts and objective traditional science. Is time based in the physics of inanimate matter, or does it originate in the operation of our minds? Is it essential for the constitution of reality, or is it just an illusion? Issues of time, temporality, and nowness are paradigms for interdisciplinary work in many contemporary fields of research. The authors of this volume discuss profoundly the mutual relationships and inspiring perspectives. They address a general audience.

The Symbolic Construction of Reality
  • Language: en
  • Pages: 430

The Symbolic Construction of Reality

In 1933 eminent philosopher Ernst Cassirer (1874 - 1945) fled Nazi Germany for the United States. His fame in Europe having already been established through a public debate with Martin Heidegger in 1929, Cassirer would go on to become a noteworthy influence on American culture. His most important early writings focused on the symbol and symbolic...