The Odd Quantum.SAM TREIMAN The principles of quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is seem to fly in the face of to defy; to brave; to withstand. to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. See also: Face Fly common sense, frustrating nonspecialists. Princeton physics professor Treiman's introduction seeks to overcome this problem. Although he writes for a general audience, he strives to convey the substance, methods, and oddities of quantum mechanics without abandoning the basic mathematics. Beginning with the accomplishments of the founding fathers of the field--Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrodinger, Werner Heisenberg--he explains the intrinsically probabilistic (probability) probabilistic - Relating to, or governed by, probability. The behaviour of a probabilistic system cannot be predicted exactly but the probability of certain behaviours is known. Such systems may be simulated using pseudorandom numbers. nature of quantum mechanics, explores the strictly identical nature of quantum particles, and tells how such particles can move through barriers and in regions of space forbidden by classical mechanics. Emphasizing the wave aspects of the subject, Treiman concludes by delving into the intricacies of quantum field theory quantum field theory, study of the quantum mechanical interaction of elementary particles and fields. Quantum field theory applied to the understanding of electromagnetism is called quantum electrodynamics (QED), and it has proved spectacularly successful in . Originally published in hardcover in 1999. Princeton U Pr, 2002, 262 p., paperback, $16.95. |
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