The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Dublin Seminars (1949-1955) and Other Unpublished Essays

• INTRODUCTION • I
1 Interpretations or Interpretation? 1
2 The Fading of the Concept of Particle 5
3 An Ontology of \II-Waves 9
4 The Measurement Problem 13
5 Sources 18
Typographic Conventions 18
• JULY 1952 COLLOQUIUM • 19
1 Introduction 19
2 How It Came About 22
3 The Alleged Energy Balance-A Resonance
Phenomenon 24
4 Removing Some Difficulties 26
S Chemistry, Photochemistry, and the Photoelectric
Effect 28
6 (Individuality and Samenessl 31
7 Thermodynamics 36
. • TRANSFORMATION AND INTERPRETATION
IN QUANTUM MECHANICS (C. 1952) • 39
Introductory Remark 39
1 The Wave Function; Linear Operators; Eigenfunctions
and Eigenvalues 40
2 The Transformation to Another Frame 44
V
vi • Contents
3 The Transformation of the Wave Function 46
4 The Inte:rpretation of the Wave Function 49
5 Illustrations 54
6 (Harmonic Oscillators) 63,
7 (Interpreting the Wave Function) 70
8 (Laws and Changes with Time) 82
3 • NOTES FOR 1949 SEMINAR • 97
The Problem of Matter in Quantum Mechanics 9 7
The Nature of the Elementary Particles 99
The Difficulties in Interpreting the Blur (Quantum
Uncertainty) 104
4 • NOTES FOR 1955 SEMINAR • I 09
Introduction 109
On Measuring Velocities by the Police or Race-Course
Method 110
Introduction to Statistics 114
Planck-Black-Body-Radiation (Without
Discontinuity!) 115
5 • FROM A LETTER TO ARTHUR S. EDDINGTON,
MARCH 22ND 1940 • 121
6 • WILLIAM JAMES LECTURES • 123
1 First Lecture; Science, Philosophy and the Sensates 123
2 Second Lecture: The Technique of Measurement 131
3 Third Lecture: The Part of the Human Mind 141
• ABOUT THE BOOK • 151