24.111
Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
Quantum mechanics is said to describe a world in which physical objects often lack "definite" properties, indeterminism creeps in at the point of "observation," ordinary logic does not apply, and distant events are perfectly yet inexplicably correlated. Examination of these and other issues central to the philosophical foundations of quantum mechanics, with special attention to the measurement problem, no-hidden-variables proofs, and Bell's Inequalities. Rigorous approach to the subject matter nevertheless neither presupposes nor requires the development of detailed technical knowledge of the quantum theory.
Spring 2005
Topics
- Overview of Some Odd Phenomena
- Overview of Some Odd Phenomena (cont.)
- The Mathematical Formalism and Its Orthodox Interpretation
- The Mathematical Formalism and Its Orthodox Interpretation (cont.)
- The Measurement Problem and Attempted Solutions
- Hidden Variables and Proofs of Their Impossibility
- Quantum Extravagances
- Composition and Identical Particles
Readings
- The required text for the course is Albert. Quantum Mechanics and Experience . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0674741129.
- Hughes, R. I. G. The Structure and Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989. ISBN: 0674843916.
- Maudlin. Quantum Non-locality and Relativity: Metaphysical Intimations of Modern Physics . Malden, MA: Blackwell, c2002. ISBN: 0631232214. (Highly recommended)
- Lec #: 1-3 · TOPICS: Overview of Some Odd Phenomena · READINGS: Albert, Chapters 1 and 3; Hughes, Preface and Introduction; supplemental readings
- Lec #: 5-6 · TOPICS: The Mathematical Formalism and Its Orthodox Interpretation · READINGS: Albert, Chapter 2; Hughes, Chapters 1-5; supplemental readings
- Lec #: 9-16 · TOPICS: The Measurement Problem and Attempted Solutions · READINGS: Albert, Chapters 4-7; supplemental readings
- Lec #: 17-19 · TOPICS: Hidden Variables and Proofs of Their Impossibility · READINGS: Hughes, Chapter 6; supplemental readings
- Lec #: 20-22 · TOPICS: Quantum Extravagances · READINGS: Supplemental readings: topics may include one or more of quantum logic, quantum faster-than-light signaling, quantum teleportation, quantum computing
- Lec #: 23-26 · TOPICS: Composition and Identical Particles · READINGS: Supplemental readings
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2005
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.