Alexander S. Blum – författare

This two‐volume Element reconstructs and analyzes the historical debates on whether renormalized quantum field theory is a mathematically consistent theory. This volume covers the years the years immediately following the development of renormalized quantum electrodynamics. It begins with the realization that perturbation theory cannot serve as the foundation for a proof of consistency, due to the non-convergence of the perturbation series. Various attempts at a nonperturbative formulation of quantum field theory are discussed, including the Schwinger-Dyson equations, GunnarKällén's nonperturbative renormalization, the renormalization group of MurrayGell-Mann and Francis Low, and, in the last section, early axiomatic quantum field theory. The second volume of this Element covers the establishment of Haag's theorem, which proved that even the Hilbert space of perturbation theory is an inadequate foundation for a consistent theory. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This two‐volume Element reconstructs and analyzes the historical debates on whether renormalized quantum field theory is a mathematically consistent theory. This volume covers the years the years immediately following the development of renormalized quantum electrodynamics. It begins with the realization that perturbation theory cannot serve as the foundation for a proof of consistency, due to the non-convergence of the perturbation series. Various attempts at a nonperturbative formulation of quantum field theory are discussed, including the Schwinger-Dyson equations, GunnarKällén's nonperturbative renormalization, the renormalization group of MurrayGell-Mann and Francis Low, and, in the last section, early axiomatic quantum field theory. The second volume of this Element covers the establishment of Haag's theorem, which proved that even the Hilbert space of perturbation theory is an inadequate foundation for a consistent theory. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This book presents the first detailed account of Werner Heisenberg’s failed attempt to find a theory of everything in the autumn of his career. It further investigates what we can learn from his failure in relation to the search for a final theory of physics, an endeavour that continues to define research in fundamental physics to this day. Thereby it provides the first historically informed contribution to the current debate on post-empirical physics and the state of particle physics.

This contributed volume explores the renaissance of general relativity after World War II, when it transformed from a marginal theory into a cornerstone of modern physics. Chapters explore key historical processes related to the theory of general relativity, in addition to presenting a thorough treatment of the relevant science behind these episodes. A broad historiographical framework is introduced first, thus providing the broad context in which the given computational approaches and case studies occurred. Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of expert authors, these chapters will bring readers to a more complete understanding of Einstein’s theory. Specific topics include:Social and citation networksThe Fock-Infeld disputeWheeler’s turn to gravitation theoryThe position of general relativity in theories of fundamental interactionsThe pursuit of a quantum theory of gravityThe emergence of dark matter in relation to cosmological modelsInstitutional frameworks for gravitational wave search in EuropeThe Renaissance of General Relativity in Context is ideal for historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science. Students and researchers in physics will also be interested in the topics explored.

This contributed volume explores the renaissance of general relativity after World War II, when it transformed from a marginal theory into a cornerstone of modern physics. Chapters explore key historical processes related to the theory of general relativity, in addition to presenting a thorough treatment of the relevant science behind these episodes. A broad historiographical framework is introduced first, thus providing the broad context in which the given computational approaches and case studies occurred. Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of expert authors, these chapters will bring readers to a more complete understanding of Einstein’s theory. Specific topics include:Social and citation networksThe Fock-Infeld disputeWheeler’s turn to gravitation theoryThe position of general relativity in theories of fundamental interactionsThe pursuit of a quantum theory of gravityThe emergence of dark matter in relation to cosmological modelsInstitutional frameworks for gravitational wave search in EuropeThe Renaissance of General Relativity in Context is ideal for historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science. Students and researchers in physics will also be interested in the topics explored.

This contributed volume explores the renaissance of general relativity after World War II, when it transformed from a marginal theory into a cornerstone of modern physics. Chapters explore key historical processes related to the theory of general relativity, in addition to presenting a thorough treatment of the relevant science behind these episodes. A broad historiographical framework is introduced first, thus providing the broad context in which the given computational approaches and case studies occurred. Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of expert authors, these chapters will bring readers to a more complete understanding of Einstein’s theory. Specific topics include:Social and citation networksThe Fock-Infeld disputeWheeler’s turn to gravitation theoryThe position of general relativity in theories of fundamental interactionsThe pursuit of a quantum theory of gravityThe emergence of dark matter in relation to cosmological modelsInstitutional frameworks for gravitational wave search in EuropeThe Renaissance of General Relativity in Context is ideal for historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science. Students and researchers in physics will also be interested in the topics explored.

Als im Jahr 1900 mit Plancks Quantenhypothese die Krise der klassischen Physik beginnt, ist Werner Heisenberg noch nicht einmal geboren. Im Sommer 1925 ist er es, der mit einer kurzen, kryptischen Arbeit, „Über quantentheoretische Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen“, eine neue Quantenmechanik begründet, die im Mikroskopischen an die Stelle der Newtonschen Mechanik tritt. In den nächsten Monaten wird diese Theorie mit seinen Göttinger Kollegen Max Born und Pascual Jordan mathematisch ausgearbeitet – als Matrizenmechanik, bevor Erwin Schrödinger kurz darauf mit seiner Wellengleichung einen ganz anderen Zugang zur Quantenmechanik bietet. Doch die Ursprünge der Quantenmechanik liegen hier, in den matrizenmechanischen Arbeiten von Heisenberg, Born und Jordan, welche in diesem Band mit einem ausführlichen Kommentar versammelt sind, der auch Studierenden der Physik den Zugang zu diesen bahnbrechenden Arbeiten ermöglicht.