Academic Philosophy Events in the Netherlands
All events in academic philosophy
- This event has passed.
Workshop on the foundations of quantum physics
13 June 2013 @ 13:00 - 17:30
|FOUNDATIONS OF QUANTUM PHYSICS
in room A12 of the Academiegebouw of the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. We have a line-up of four expert speakers:
13:00 N.P. Landsman “Against Emergence: The Case of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking”
14:00 R. Hermens “The Logics of Quantum Mechanics”
15:00 Break
15:30 F.A. Muller “What are we doing when we are interpreting quantum mechanics?”
16:30 J. Uffink “A partial history of entanglement”
17:30 Drinks
ABSTRACTS
N. P. Landsman (Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics, RU)
Against Emergence: The Case of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking
Abstract:
Beginning with Anderson (1972), spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) in infinite quantum systems is often put forward as an example of (asymptotic) emergence in physics, since in theory no finite system should display it. Even the correspondence between theory and reality is at stake here, since numerous real materials show SSB in their ground states, although they are finite. Thus against what is sometimes called ‘Earman’s Principle’, a genuine physical effect (viz. SSB) seems theoretically recovered only in some idealization (namely the thermodynamic limit), disappearing as soon as the the idealization is removed. Fortunately, a deeper analysis provides continuity between finite- and infinite-volume descriptions of quantum systems featuring SSB and hence restores Earman’s Principle (at least in this particularly threatening case). To the extent that Emergence opposes Reductionism, the latter is vindicated.
Reference: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/9771/
R. Hermens (Faculty of Philosophy, RUG)
The Logics of Quantum Mechanics
In their 1936 paper “the logic of quantum mechanics” Birkhoff and Von Neumann derived a (non-classical!) logic for quantum propositions through an investigation of the structure of the theory. Unfortunately, a pressing question was left unanswered: “what do these quantum propositions express?” In this talk three possible answers will be investigated. The first may be associated with Putnam’s quantum realism, and leaves the orthodox quantum logic intact. The second accords more with modal interpretations of quantum mechanics and demands the extension of the orthodox quantum logic into a normal modal algebra or weakly Heyting algebra. The third accords more with a Bohrian instrumentalist interpretation and results in an intuitionistic logic which in turn may be embedded in a classical logic. In short, the logic of quantum mechanics strongly depends on what one considers quantum mechanics to be about.
F. A. Muller (Faculty of Philosophy, EUR, and Institute for the History and Foundations of Science, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, UU)
What are we doing when we are interpreting quantum mechanics?
Abstract:
To interpret X is to assign meaning to X. To assign meaning to X we must produce sentences, which hopefully do not contain expressions that stand in the same dire need of interpretation as X does, otherwise we have replaced the problem of interpretation. Hermeneutics is the art, or science, of interpretation. Many things can be interpreted: X can be an obscure or ambiguous expression in the English language, or an event, or a poem, or a novel, or human behaviour, or so forth. Can X be a scientific theory too? The very existence of ‘interpretations of quantum mechanics’ (QM) suggest an answer in the affirmative. Is QM, then, obscure or ambiguous? If so, how can scientists use QM? If understanding is strongly connected to being able to use in order to save phenomena, as H.W. de Regt and D. Dieks maintain, then physicists understand QM very well. If you understand X very well, you can hardly maintain that X is obscure or ambiguous. Dummett wrote that physicists use QM and impressed by its succes, they believe that QM is true, but their endless debates about the interpretation of QM reveal
that they don’t understand it. They do understand it and they don’t understand it. Mammy, help!
What are we doing when we are interpreting QM? Are we engaging in `quantum hermeneutics’ Yours truly will propose a crystal clear and unambiguous answer.
J. B. Uffink (Department of Philosophy, University of Minnesota)
A partial history of entanglement
About the OZSW event calendar
The OZSW event calendar lists academic philosophy events organized by/at Dutch universities, and is offered by the OZSW as a service to the research community. Please check the event in question – through their website or organizer – to find out if you could participate and whether registration is required. Obviously we carry no responsibility for non-OZSW events.