From Spinors To Quantum Mechanics

From Spinors To Quantum Mechanics PDF Author: Gerrit Coddens
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 1783266392
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
From Spinors to Quantum Mechanics discusses group theory and its use in quantum mechanics. Chapters 1 to 4 offer an introduction to group theory, and it provides the reader with an exact and clear intuition of what a spinor is, showing that spinors are just a mathematically complete notation for group elements. Chapter 5 contains the first rigorous derivation of the Dirac equation from a simple set of assumptions. The remaining chapters will interest the advanced reader who is interested in the meaning of quantum mechanics. They propose a novel approach to the foundations of quantum mechanics, based on the idea that the meaning of the formalism is already provided by the mathematics.In the traditional approach to quantum mechanics as initiated by Heisenberg, one has to start from a number of experimental results and then derive a set of rules and calculations that reproduce the observed experimental results. In such an inductive approach the underlying assumptions are not given at the outset. The reader has to figure them out, and this has proven to be difficult. The book shows that a different, bottom-up approach to quantum mechanics is possible, which merits further investigation as it demonstrates that with the methods used, the reader can obtain the correct results in a context where one would hitherto not expect this to be possible.

From Spinors To Quantum Mechanics

From Spinors To Quantum Mechanics PDF Author: Gerrit Coddens
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 1783266392
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
From Spinors to Quantum Mechanics discusses group theory and its use in quantum mechanics. Chapters 1 to 4 offer an introduction to group theory, and it provides the reader with an exact and clear intuition of what a spinor is, showing that spinors are just a mathematically complete notation for group elements. Chapter 5 contains the first rigorous derivation of the Dirac equation from a simple set of assumptions. The remaining chapters will interest the advanced reader who is interested in the meaning of quantum mechanics. They propose a novel approach to the foundations of quantum mechanics, based on the idea that the meaning of the formalism is already provided by the mathematics.In the traditional approach to quantum mechanics as initiated by Heisenberg, one has to start from a number of experimental results and then derive a set of rules and calculations that reproduce the observed experimental results. In such an inductive approach the underlying assumptions are not given at the outset. The reader has to figure them out, and this has proven to be difficult. The book shows that a different, bottom-up approach to quantum mechanics is possible, which merits further investigation as it demonstrates that with the methods used, the reader can obtain the correct results in a context where one would hitherto not expect this to be possible.

The Theory of Spinors

The Theory of Spinors PDF Author: Élie Cartan
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486137325
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Describes orthgonal and related Lie groups, using real or complex parameters and indefinite metrics. Develops theory of spinors by giving a purely geometric definition of these mathematical entities.

Theory of Spinors and Its Application in Physics and Mechanics

Theory of Spinors and Its Application in Physics and Mechanics PDF Author: Vladimir A. Zhelnorovich
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030278360
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
This book contains a systematic exposition of the theory of spinors in finite-dimensional Euclidean and Riemannian spaces. The applications of spinors in field theory and relativistic mechanics of continuous media are considered. The main mathematical part is connected with the study of invariant algebraic and geometric relations between spinors and tensors. The theory of spinors and the methods of the tensor representation of spinors and spinor equations are thoroughly expounded in four-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces. Very useful and important relations are derived that express the derivatives of the spinor fields in terms of the derivatives of various tensor fields. The problems associated with an invariant description of spinors as objects that do not depend on the choice of a coordinate system are addressed in detail. As an application, the author considers an invariant tensor formulation of certain classes of differential spinor equations containing, in particular, the most important spinor equations of field theory and quantum mechanics. Exact solutions of the Einstein–Dirac equations, nonlinear Heisenberg’s spinor equations, and equations for relativistic spin fluids are given. The book presents a large body of factual material and is suited for use as a handbook. It is intended for specialists in theoretical physics, as well as for students and post-graduate students of physical and mathematical specialties.

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics with Applications to Chemistry PDF Author: Linus Pauling
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486134938
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 500

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Book Description
Classic undergraduate text explores wave functions for the hydrogen atom, perturbation theory, the Pauli exclusion principle, and the structure of simple and complex molecules. Numerous tables and figures.

Not Even Wrong

Not Even Wrong PDF Author: Peter Woit
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 046500363X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not. In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong , he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish. Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth. In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story.

Spinor Structures in Geometry and Physics

Spinor Structures in Geometry and Physics PDF Author: V. M. Redkov
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781634825399
Category : MATHEMATICS
Languages : en
Pages : 429

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Book Description
This book is devoted to investigating the spinor structures in particle physics and in polarization optics. In fact, it consists of two parts joined by the question: Which are the manifestations of spinor structures in different branches of physics. It is based on original research. The main idea is the statement that the physical understanding of geometry should be based on physical field theories. The book contains numerous topics with the accent on field theory, quantum mechanics and polarization optics of the light, and on the spinor approach.

Dirac Operators in Riemannian Geometry

Dirac Operators in Riemannian Geometry PDF Author: Thomas Friedrich
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 0821820559
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
For a Riemannian manifold M, the geometry, topology and analysis are interrelated in ways that have become widely explored in modern mathematics. Bounds on the curvature can have significant implications for the topology of the manifold. The eigenvalues of the Laplacian are naturally linked to the geometry of the manifold. For manifolds that admit spin structures, one obtains further information from equations involving Dirac operators and spinor fields. In the case of four-manifolds, for example, one has the remarkable Seiberg-Witten invariants. In this text, Friedrich examines the Dirac operator on Riemannian manifolds, especially its connection with the underlying geometry and topology of the manifold. The presentation includes a review of Clifford algebras, spin groups and the spin representation, as well as a review of spin structures and $\textrm{spin}mathbb{C}$ structures. With this foundation established, the Dirac operator is defined and studied, with special attention to the cases of Hermitian manifolds and symmetric spaces. Then, certain analytic properties are established, including self-adjointness and the Fredholm property. An important link between the geometry and the analysis is provided by estimates for the eigenvalues of the Dirac operator in terms of the scalar curvature and the sectional curvature. Considerations of Killing spinors and solutions of the twistor equation on M lead to results about whether M is an Einstein manifold or conformally equivalent to one. Finally, in an appendix, Friedrich gives a concise introduction to the Seiberg-Witten invariants, which are a powerful tool for the study of four-manifolds. There is also an appendix reviewing principal bundles and connections. This detailed book with elegant proofs is suitable as a text for courses in advanced differential geometry and global analysis, and can serve as an introduction for further study in these areas. This edition is translated from the German edition published by Vieweg Verlag.

Visual Quantum Mechanics

Visual Quantum Mechanics PDF Author: Bernd Thaller
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387227709
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
"Visual Quantum Mechanics" uses the computer-generated animations found on the accompanying material on Springer Extras to introduce, motivate, and illustrate the concepts explained in the book. While there are other books on the market that use Mathematica or Maple to teach quantum mechanics, this book differs in that the text describes the mathematical and physical ideas of quantum mechanics in the conventional manner. There is no special emphasis on computational physics or requirement that the reader know a symbolic computation package. Despite the presentation of rather advanced topics, the book requires only calculus, making complicated results more comprehensible via visualization. The material on Springer Extras provides easy access to more than 300 digital movies, animated illustrations, and interactive pictures. This book along with its extra online materials forms a complete introductory course on spinless particles in one and two dimensions.

An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory

An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Michael E. Peskin
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429983182
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 866

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Book Description
An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory is a textbook intended for the graduate physics course covering relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and Feynman diagrams. The authors make these subjects accessible through carefully worked examples illustrating the technical aspects of the subject, and intuitive explanations of what is going on behind the mathematics. After presenting the basics of quantum electrodynamics, the authors discuss the theory of renormalization and its relation to statistical mechanics, and introduce the renormalization group. This discussion sets the stage for a discussion of the physical principles that underlie the fundamental interactions of elementary particle physics and their description by gauge field theories.

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: François Gelis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108574386
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 611

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Book Description
This modern text combines fundamental principles with advanced topics and recent techniques in a rigorous and self-contained treatment of quantum field theory.Beginning with a review of basic principles, starting with quantum mechanics and special relativity, students can refresh their knowledge of elementary aspects of quantum field theory and perturbative calculations in the Standard Model. Results and tools relevant to many applications are covered, including canonical quantization, path integrals, non-Abelian gauge theories, and the renormalization group. Advanced topics are explored, with detail given on effective field theories, quantum anomalies, stable extended field configurations, lattice field theory, and field theory at a finite temperature or in the strong field regime. Two chapters are dedicated to new methods for calculating scattering amplitudes (spinor-helicity, on-shell recursion, and generalized unitarity), equipping students with practical skills for research. Accessibly written, with numerous worked examples and end-of-chapter problems, this is an essential text for graduate students. The breadth of coverage makes it an equally excellent reference for researchers.