The Meaning of the Wave Function

In Search of the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Shan Gao

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781108156530
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Physics
• Index: Physics

At the heart of quantum mechanics lies the wave function, a powerful but mysterious mathematical object which has been a hot topic of debate from its earliest stages. Covering much of the recent debate and providing a comprehensive and critical review of competing approaches, this ambitious text provides new, decisive proof of the reality of the wave function. Aiming to make sense of the wave function in quantum mechanics and to find the ontological content of the theory, this book explores new ontological interpretations of the wave function in terms of random discontinuous motion of particles. Finally, the book investigates whether the suggested quantum ontology is complete in solving the measurement problem and if it should be revised in the relativistic domain. A timely addition to the literature on the foundations of quantum mechanics, this book is of value to students and researchers with an interest in the philosophy of physics.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Reviews
• Title page
• Copyright informaion
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Table of contents
• Preface
• 1 Quantum Mechanics and Experience
• 2 The Wave Function: Ontic versus Epistemic
• 3 The Nomological View
• 4 Reality of the Wave Function
• 5 Origin of the Schrödinger Equation
• 6 The Ontology of Quantum Mechanics (I)
• 7 The Ontology of Quantum Mechanics (II)
• 8 Implications for Solving the Measurement Problem
• 9 Quantum Ontology and Relativity
• Epilogue
• References
• Index