Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Notations and Conventions
- Introduction
- Part I Galilean and special relativity
- Part II General relativity
- Appendix A Addendum for Chapter 1
- Appendix B Addendum for Chapter 2
- Appendix C Addendum for Chapter 3
- Appendix D Addendum for Chapter 4
- Appendix E Addendum for Chapter 5
- Appendix F Addendum for Chapter 7
- Appendix G Addendum for Chapter 8
- References
- Index
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Notations and Conventions
- Introduction
- Part I Galilean and special relativity
- Part II General relativity
- Appendix A Addendum for Chapter 1
- Appendix B Addendum for Chapter 2
- Appendix C Addendum for Chapter 3
- Appendix D Addendum for Chapter 4
- Appendix E Addendum for Chapter 5
- Appendix F Addendum for Chapter 7
- Appendix G Addendum for Chapter 8
- References
- Index
Summary
This book examines the foundational consistency of quantum mechanics incorporated within relativistic frameworks. Quantum physics remains a perplexing formalism that, although very successful in explaining physical phenomena, poses many philosophical and interpretational questions. Several of the subtleties of quantum physics become more manifest when quantum processes are described using relativistic dynamics. For instance, the successful connection of spin to quantum statistics is a consequence of the consistent incorporation of special relativity into the quantum formalism. There should be similar profound explanations awaiting discovery as gravitating phenomena are successfully incorporated into quantum formulations.
The common theme of this manuscript is the examination of the incorporation of relativistic behaviors upon the foundations of quantum physics. The approach is to keep all formulations as close to observed phenomena as possible, rather than to present a set of speculative models whose primary motivations are internal aesthetics. In the search for the most elegant models of physical phenomena, one must recognize that at its core, physics is an experimental science. The dimensional analysis of fundamental units, taught at the very beginning of introductory physics classes, demonstrates that phenomenology lies at the foundations of physics. Fundamental ideas such as correspondence, the principle of relativity, and complementarity provide direct contact with the physics used to guide this exploration. This manuscript is an elaboration and expansion on previously published work, but also contains some new material.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Foundations of Quantum Gravity , pp. 1 - 8Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013