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Surprises in Theoretical Physics
Problems in theoretical physics often lead to paradoxical answers; yet closer reasoning and a more complete analysis invariably lead to the resolution of the paradox and to a deeper understanding of the physics involved. Drawing primarily from his own experience and that of his collaborators, Sir Rudolf Peierls selects examples of such "surprises" from a wide range of physical theory, from quantum mechanical scattering theory to the theory of relativity, from irreversibility in statistical mechanics to the behavior of electrons in solids. By studying such surprises and learning what kind of possibilities to look for, he suggests, scientists may be able to avoid errors in future problems.
In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what physical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises discussed have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle.
This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, University de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.
In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what physical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises discussed have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle.
This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, University de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.
- GenresPhysics
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1979
34 people want to read
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December 11, 2021
By chance, I reread this book after reviewing Paul Davies' "The Demon in the Machine". Imagine my surprise to see that Peierls, like Davies, thought it probable that "new concepts have to be added to our present physical ones before an adequate description of life is possible" (see section 1.6, "Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics").
Many of Peierls' surprises are in the application of imperfect physical or mathematical models to experimental results. Appreciating them requires familiarity with some topics in theoretical physics, and a willingness to pause and absorb what he's saying. Skimming through isn't an option if you want to understand the surprise, but the effort is worthwhile.
I found the chapters on quantum mechanics and on statistical mechanics most interesting. Peierls discusses quantum mechanics in the light of Bell's theorem ("Surprises" was written in 1977), and did not think there should be any doubt about the interpretation of the theory. His comments on the "contraction of the wave packet" and measurement are insightful. On statistical mechanics, in addition to presenting some more technical surprises, Peierls takes on irreversibility and the "arrow of time", again with great insight.
Many of Peierls' surprises are in the application of imperfect physical or mathematical models to experimental results. Appreciating them requires familiarity with some topics in theoretical physics, and a willingness to pause and absorb what he's saying. Skimming through isn't an option if you want to understand the surprise, but the effort is worthwhile.
I found the chapters on quantum mechanics and on statistical mechanics most interesting. Peierls discusses quantum mechanics in the light of Bell's theorem ("Surprises" was written in 1977), and did not think there should be any doubt about the interpretation of the theory. His comments on the "contraction of the wave packet" and measurement are insightful. On statistical mechanics, in addition to presenting some more technical surprises, Peierls takes on irreversibility and the "arrow of time", again with great insight.
Displaying 1 of 1 review