It would be hard to imagine a better guide to this difficult subject. -- Scientific American In Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, Lee Smolin provides an accessible overview of the attempts to build a final theory of everything. He explains in simple terms what scientists are talking about when they say the world is made from exotic entities such as loops, strings, and black holes and tells the fascinating stories behind these discoveries: the rivalries, epiphanies, and intrigues he witnessed firsthand. Provocative, original, and unsettling. -- The New York Review of Books An excellent writer, a creative thinker. -- Nature

Unlike many textbooks or popular science books, A Simple Guide to Popular Physics has truly been crafted for the uninitiated or those spooked by the subject's complexity. Harris's inviting guide promises to give "absolute beginners" from "teens to centenarians" a basic grounding in particle physics, quantum physics, and cosmology-all without making readers do math. With the goal of introducing the basics and encouraging readers to explore more deeply afterwards, Harris notes "Like the fish we have no notion of what is beyond the boundaries of our knowledge, but unlike the fish, we know there is something." He starts by presenting those boundaries, the fundamentals of classic physics (Newton's law, states of matter, types of energy), with crisp clarity before laying out an accessible explanation of Einstein's theory of relativity, the structure of the atom, the mysteries of quantum mechanics and cosmology. Readers will not need to search online for key terms or explanations of concepts that have been glossed over. Instead, one by one, with patience and good humor, Harris introduces each of these building blocks of our universe, taking a little time to invite readers to contemplate the momentousness of the information, as in the chapter titled nothing less than "What Is Reality?" . The watchword, here, is clarity, which Harris offers throughout, with professional illustrations and illuminating accounts of experiments and breakthroughs, offering a solid foundation for understanding and future reading Inviting and illuminating, this introduction to physics truly targets the reader who is entirely new to the subject.

Essential mathematical tools for the study of modern quantum theory.

Linear Algebra for Quantum Theory offers an excellent survey of those aspects of set theory and the theory of linear spaces and their mappings that are indispensable to the study of quantum theory. Unlike more conventional treatments, this text postpones its discussion of the binary product concept until later chapters, thus allowing many important properties of the mappings to be derived without it.

The book begins with a thorough exploration of set theory fundamentals, including mappings, cardinalities of sets, and arithmetic and theory of complex numbers. Next is an introduction to linear spaces, with coverage of linear operators, eigenvalue and the stability problem of linear operators, and matrices with special properties.

Material on binary product spaces features self-adjoint operators in a space of indefinite metric, binary product spaces with a positive definite metric, properties of the Hilbert space, and more. The final section is devoted to axioms of quantum theory formulated as trace algebra. Throughout, chapter-end problem sets help reinforce absorption of the material while letting readers test their problem-solving skills.

Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in theoretical and computational chemistry and physics, Linear Algebra for Quantum Theory provides the mathematical means necessary to access and understand the complex world of quantum theory.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2019. 'An accessible primer on all things quantum' - Sunday Times Quantum physics is strange. It tells us that a particle can be in two places at once. Indeed, that particle is also a wave, and everything in the quantum world can be described entirely in terms of waves, or entirely in terms of particles, whichever you prefer. All of this was clear by the end of the 1920s. But to the great distress of many physicists, let alone ordinary mortals, nobody has ever been able to come up with a common sense explanation of what is going on. Physicists have sought 'quanta of solace' in a variety of more or less convincing interpretations. Popular science master John Gribbin takes us on a delightfully mind-bending tour through the 'big six', from the Copenhagen interpretation via the pilot wave and many worlds approaches. All of them are crazy, and some are more crazy than others, but in this world crazy does not necessarily mean wrong, and being more crazy does not necessarily mean more wrong.

"Quantum Phenomena do not occur in a Hilbert space. They occur in a laboratory". - Asher Peres Semiconductor physics is a laboratory to learn and discover the concepts of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics, condensed matter physics, and materials science, and the payoffs are almost immediate in the form of useful semiconductor devices. Debdeep Jena has had the opportunity to work on both sides of the fence - on the fundamental materials science and quantum physics of semiconductors, and in their applications in semiconductor electronic and photonic devices. In Quantum Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Jena uses this experience to make each topic as tangible and accessible as possible to students at all levels. Consider the simplest physical processes that occur in semiconductors: electron or hole transport in bands and over barriers, collision of electrons with the atoms in the crystal, or when electrons and holes annihilate each other to produce a photon. The correct explanation of these processes require a quantum mechanical treatment. Any shortcuts lead to misconceptions that can take years to dispel, and sometimes become roadblocks towards a deeper understanding and appreciation of the richness of the subject. A typical introductory course on semiconductor physics would then require prerequisites of quantum mechanics, statistical physics and thermodynamics, materials science, and electromagnetism. Rarely would a student have all this background when (s)he takes a course of this nature in most universities. Jena's work fills in these gaps and gives students the background and deeper understanding of the quantum physics of semiconductors and nanostructures.

This introductory text is written for graduate students in physics taking a year-long course in quantum mechanics in which the third quarter is devoted to relativistic wave equations and field theory. Difficult concepts are introduced gradually, and the theory is applied to physically interesting problems.

This book provides an introduction to representative nonrelativistic quantum control problems and their theoretical analysis and solution via modern computational techniques. The quantum theory framework is based on the Schroedinger picture, and the optimization theory, which focuses on functional spaces, is based on the Lagrange formalism. The computational techniques represent recent developments that have resulted from combining modern numerical techniques for quantum evolutionary equations with sophisticated optimization schemes. Both finite and infinite-dimensional models are discussed, including the three-level Lambda system arising in quantum optics, multispin systems in NMR, a charged particle in a well potential, Bose-Einstein condensates, multiparticle spin systems, and multiparticle models in the time-dependent density functional framework. This self-contained book covers the formulation, analysis, and numerical solution of quantum control problems and bridges scientific computing, optimal control and exact controllability, optimization with differential models, and the sciences and engineering that require quantum control methods.

In this book, the authors discuss the Mellin-Barnes representation of complex multidimensional integrals. Experiments frontiered by the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider at CERN and future collider projects demand the development of computational methods to achieve the theoretical precision required by experimental setups. In this regard, performing higher-order calculations in perturbative quantum field theory is of paramount importance. The Mellin-Barnes integrals technique has been successfully applied to the analytic and numerical analysis of integrals connected with virtual and real higher-order perturbative corrections to particle scattering. Easy-to-follow examples with the supplemental online material introduce the reader to the construction and the analytic, approximate, and numeric solution of Mellin-Barnes integrals in Euclidean and Minkowskian kinematic regimes. It also includes an overview of the state-of-the-art software packages for manipulating and evaluating Mellin-Barnes integrals. The book is meant for advanced students and young researchers to master the theoretical background needed to perform perturbative quantum field theory calculations.

Originally conceived some thirty years ago in the context of quantum electrodynamics, renormalization methods have progressively developed into an indispensable analytical tool used in widely varying domains of physics and applied mathematics, such as

• phase transitions and critical phenomena
• dynamical systems and chaos
• developed turbulence
• fractal structures and complex systems
• percolation
• polymer physics
• diffusion in disordered media
• measure theory and stochastic processes.

By explaining the fundamental principles of renormalization theory such as scale invariance and universality which lie behind all the technical variations, this book aims to guide the reader to a more unified understanding of todays physics. The book is based on a very accessible main text, supplemented by several more specialized sections; it is intended for graduate students and for researchers who are seeking an introduction to a new area of electrodynamics or a general overview of the physical phenomena to which renormalization methods are applied.

As Kenneth W. Ford shows us in "The Quantum World," the laws governing the very small and the very swift defy common sense and stretch our minds to the limit. Drawing on a deep familiarity with the discoveries of the twentieth century, Ford gives an appealing account of quantum physics that will help the serious reader make sense of a science that, for all its successes, remains mysterious. In order to make the book even more suitable for classroom use, the author, assisted by Diane Goldstein, has included a new section of Quantum Questions at the back of the book. A separate answer manual to these 300+ questions is available; visit "The Quantum World" website for ordering information.

There is also a cloth edition of this book, which does not include the "Quantum Questions" included in this paperback edition.

E = mc2 and the Periodic Table . . .

RELATIVISTIC EFFECTS IN CHEMISTRY

This century's most famous equation, Einstein's special theory of relativity, transformed our comprehension of the nature of time and matter. Today, making use of the theory in a relativistic analysis of heavy molecules, that is, computing the properties and nature of electrons, is the work of chemists intent on exploring the mysteries of minute particles.

The first work of its kind, Relativistic Effects in Chemistry details the computational and analytical methods used in studying the relativistic effects in chemical bonding as well as the spectroscopic properties of molecules containing very heavy atoms. The second of two independent volumes, Part B: Applications contains specific experimental and theoretical results on the electronic states of molecules containing very heavy atoms as well as their spectroscopic properties and electronic structures. The first one-volume catalog of comprehensive computational results, Part B details:

• the relativistic effects on the electronic structure of transition metal clusters, such as the Cu, Ag, and Au triad
• the electronic structure of open-shell transition metal clusters such as Rh3 and Ir3
• the electronic and spectroscopic properties of heteronuclear diatomics of main group p-block elements from Ga to Po, especially the diatomic hydrides, halides, and chalconides
• the clusters of the very heavy main group p-block elements from Ga to Po
• the relativistic effects on molecules containing lanthanide and actinide atoms, including metals inside fullerenes.

An extraordinary new examination of Periodic Table elements, Part B of Relativistic Effects in Chemistry is also evidence of the enduring influence of Einstein's revolutionary theory.

Offers an accessible text and reference (a cosmic-ray manual) for graduate students entering the field and high-energy astrophysicists will find this an accessible cosmic-ray manual Easy to read for the general astronomer, the first part describes the standard model of cosmic rays based on our understanding of modern particle physics. Presents the acceleration scenario in some detail in supernovae explosions as well as in the passage of cosmic rays through the Galaxy. Compares experimental data in the atmosphere as well as underground are compared with theoretical models

For David Deutsch, a young physicist of unusual originality, quantum theory contains our most fundamental knowledge of the physical world. Taken literally, it implies that there are many universes "parallel" to the one we see around us. This multiplicity of universes, according to Deutsch, turns out to be the key to achieving a new worldview?one which synthesizes the theories of evolution, computation, and knowledge with quantum physics. Considered jointly, these four strands of explanation reveal a unified fabric of reality that is both objective and comprehensible?the subject of this daring, challenging book. The Fabric of Reality explains and connects many topics at the leading edge of current research and thinking, such as quantum computers (which work by effectively collaborating with their counterparts in other universes), the physics of time travel, the comprehensibility of nature and the physical limits of virtual reality, the significance of human life, and the ultimate fate of the universe. Here?for scientist and layperson alike, for philosopher, science-fiction reader, biologist, and computer expert?is a startlingly complete and rational synthesis of disciplines, and a new, optimistic message about existence.

The theory of thermodynamics has been one of the bedrocks of 19th-century physics, and thermodynamic problems have inspired Planck's quantum hypothesis. One hundred years later, in an era where we design increasingly sophisticated nanotechnologies, researchers in quantum physics have been 'returning to their roots', attempting to reconcile modern nanoscale devices with the theory of thermodynamics. This textbook explains how it is possible to unify the two opposite pictures of microscopic quantum physics and macroscopic thermodynamics in one consistent framework, proving that the ancient theory of thermodynamics still offers many remarkable insights into present-day problems. This textbook focuses on the microscopic derivation and understanding of key principles and concepts and their interrelation. The topics covered in this book include (quantum) stochastic processes, (quantum) master equations, local detailed balance, classical stochastic thermodynamics, (quantum) fluctuation theorems, strong coupling and non-Markovian effects, thermodynamic uncertainty relations, operational approaches, Maxwell's demon, and time-reversal symmetry, among other topics. The textbook also explores several practical applications of the theory in more detail, including single-molecule pulling experiments, quantum transport and thermoelectric effects in quantum dots, the micromaser, and related setups in quantum optics. The aim of this book is to inspire readers to investigate a plethora of modern nanoscale devices from a thermodynamic point of view, allowing them to address their dissipation, efficiency, reliability, and power based on a conceptually clear understanding about the microscopic origin of heat, entropy, and the second law. The book is accessible to graduate students, post-docs, and lecturers, but will also be of interest to all researchers striving for a deeper understanding of the laws of thermodynamics beyond their traditional realm of applicability.

This book presents the first comprehensive exposition of the interpretation of quantum mechanics pioneered by Louis de Broglie and David Bohm. The purpose is to explain how quantum processes may be visualized without ambiguity or confusion in terms of a simple physical model. Dr. Holland develops the idea that a material system such as an electron is a particle guided by a surrounding quantum wave. He examines the classic phenomena of quantum theory in order to show how the spacetime orbits of an ensemble of particles can reproduce the statistical quantum predictions. The book will therefore appeal to all physicists with an interest in the foundations of their discipline.

How do atoms and electrons behave? Are they just like marbles, basketballs, suns, and planets, but smaller?They are not. Atoms and electrons behave in a fashion quite unlike the familiar marbles, basketballs, suns, and planets. This sophomore-level textbook delves into the counterintuitive, intricate, but ultimately fascinating world of quantum mechanics. Building both physical insight and mathematical technique, it opens up a new world to the discerning reader.After discussing experimental demonstrations showing that atoms behave differently from marbles, the book builds up the phenomena of the quantum world - quantization, interference, and entanglement - in the simplest possible system, the qubit. Once the phenomena are introduced, it builds mathematical machinery for describing them. It goes on to generalize those concepts and that machinery to more intricate systems. Special attention is paid to identical particles, the source of considerable student confusion. In the last chapter, students get a taste of what is not treated in the book and are invited to continue exploring quantum mechanics. Problems in the book test both conceptual and technical knowledge, and invite students to develop their own questions.

Anybody who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it. Niels Bohr's dictum bears witness to the bewildering impact of quantum theory, flying in the face of classical physics and dramatically transforming scientists' outlook on our relationship with the material world. In this book Paul Davies interviews eight physicists involved in debating and testing the theory, with radically different views of its significance.

This Third Edition of the popular text, while retaining nearly all the material of the previous edition, incorporates material on important new developments in lasers and quantum electronics. Covers phase-conjugate optics and its myriad applications, the long wavelength quaternary semiconductor laser, and our deepened understanding of the physics of semiconductor lasers--especially that applying to their current modulations and limiting bandwidth, laser arrays and the related concept of supermodes, quantum well semiconductor lasers, the role of phase amplitude coupling in laser noise, and free-electron lasers. In addition, the chapters on laser noise and third-order nonlinear effects have been extensively revised.

Describing and discussing the use of theoretical models as an alternative to experiments in making accurate predictions of chemical phenomena, this book addresses the formulation of theoretical molecular orbital models starting from quantum mechanics, and compares them to experimental results. It draws on a series of models that have already received widespread application and are available for new applications.

This book studies the vulnerability of wireless communications under line-of-sight (LoS) and non-LoS correlated fading environments. The authors theoretically and practically provide physical layer security analyses for several technologies and networks such as Fifth-Generation (5G) networks, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). The authors have provided these under various practical scenarios, and developed theoretical aspects to validate their proposed applications. Presents physical layer security (PLS) under correlated fading environments, 5G wireless networks, and NOMA networks; Provides end-to-end analyses, combination of channel correlation and outdated CSI and their effects on PL; Includes contributions of PLS research written by global experts in academia and industry.

This collection of review lectures on topics in theoretical high energy physics has few rivals for clarity of exposition and depth of insight. Delivered over the past two decades at the International School of Subnuclear Physics in Erice, Sicily, the lectures help to organize and explain material that a the time existed in a confused state, scattered in the literature. At the time they were given they spread new ideas throughout the physics community and proved very popular as introductions to topics at the frontiers of research.