The Structure of Physics

ISBN-13: 9789048173174 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 360 str.

Carl F. Von Weizsacker; Thomas Gornitz; Holger Lyre

Opis

The book is a newly arranged and revised English version of "Aufbau der Physik" by Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker. Some original chapters and sections have been deleted, and a new chapter about further insights and results of ur-theoretic research of the late 1980's and 1990's has been included. Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker combines the perspectives of science, philosophy, religion and politics with a view towards the challenges as well as the responsibilities of our time.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"This book's strength lies in the connections made between different theories like classical mechanics, thermodynamics, relativity theory, and so forth. ... The book attempts to outline a program for a unified world theory similar to string theory. ... A very stimulating book. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals." (O. Boser, CHOICE, Vol. 44 (11), July, 2007)

"Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker is certainly one of the most distinguished German physicists and philosophers of the 20^th century ... . The Structure of Physics should be of value to anybody with interests in physics, its history, or its philosophy, since it contains far more than the particular focus on the ur theory ... . The hard cover book is nicely edited following Springer's high-quality standards." (Roland Carchon, Physicalia Magazine, Vol. 29 (4), 2007)

"The present book contains an overview of von Weizsäcker's considered thoughts on a wide range of basic aspect of physics ... . It will be a valuable addition to libraries since it records the mature views and perspectives of a figure who walked at the centre of the mid-century stage of physics ... . The book is certainly very thought-provoking and many of its sections are well worth careful study. It is good to have this material made available to a broader readership." (Peter Bussey, Contemporary Physics, Vol. 48 (3), 2007)

Spis treści

Preface by the Editors Preface 1985 On Weizsäcker’s Philosophy of Physics (by H. Lyre) Chapter 1: Introduction. 1.1. The Question. 1.2. Outline Part I: The Unity of Physics Chapter 2: The System of theories. 2.1. Preliminary. 2.2. Classical point mechanics. 2.3. Mathematical forms of the Laws of Nature. 2.4. Chemistry. 2.5. Thermodynamics. 2.6. Field theories. 2.7. Non-Euclidan geometry and semantical consistency. 2.8. The relativity problem. 2.9. Special theory of relativity. 2.10. General theory of relativity. 2.11. Quantum theory, historical. 2.12. Quantum theory, plan of reconstruction. Chapter 3: Probability and abstract quantum theory. 3.1. Probability and experience. 3.2. The classical concept of probability. 3.3. Empirical determination of probabilities. 3.4. Second quantization. 3.5. Methodical: reconstruction of abstract quantum theory. 3.6. Reconstruction via probabilities and the lattice of propositions. Chapter 4: Quantum theory and space-time. 4.1. Concrete quantum theory. 4.2. Reconstruction of quantum theory via variable alternatives. 4.3. Space and time. Chapter 5: Models of particles and interaction. 5.1. Open questions. 5.2. Representations in tensor space. 5.3. Quasi-particles in rigid coordinate spaces. 5.4. Model of quantum electrodynamics. 5.5. Elementary particles. 5.6. General theory of relativity. Chapter 6: Cosmology and particle physics (by Th. Görnitz). 6.1. Quantum theory of abstract binary alternatives and cosmology. 6.2. Ur-theoretical vacuum and particle states. 6.4. Outlook. Part II: Time and Information Chapter 7: Irreversibility and entropy. 7.1. Irreversibility as problem. 7.2. A model of irreversible processes. 7.3. Documents. 7.4. Cosmology and the theory of relativity. Chapter 8: Information and evolution. 8.1. The systematic place of the chapter. 8.2. What is information? 8.3. What is evolution? 8.4. Information and probability. 8.5. Evolution as growth of potential information. 8.6. Pragmaticinformation: novelty and confirmation. 8.7. Biological preliminaries to logic. Part III: On the Interpretation of Physics Chapter 9: The problem of the interpretation of quantum theory. 9.1. About the history of the interpretation. 9.2. The semantical consistency of quantum theory. 9.3. Paradoxa and alternatives. Chapter 10: The stream of information. 10.1. The quest for substance. 10.2. The stream of information in quantum theory. 10.3. Mind and form. Chapter 11: Beyond quantum theory. 11.1. Crossing the frontier. 11.2. Facticity of the future. 11.3. Possibility of the past. 11.4. Comprehensive present. 11.5. Beyond physics. Chapter 12: In the language of philosophers. 12.1. Exposition. 12.2. Philosophy of science. 12.3. Physics. 12.4. Metaphysics. References Index

O autorze

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, geb. am 26. Juni 1912 in Kiel, war Professor für Physik in Straßburg und Göttingen, arbeitete am Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin sowie am Max-Planck-Institut in Göttingen und wurde dann Professor für Philosophie in Hamburg. 1957 organisierte er die 'Erklärung der Göttinger Achtzehn', den Protest deutscher Wissenschaftler gegen die Bewaffnung der Bundeswehr mit Atomwaffen. Von 1969-80 war er Direktor des Max-Planck-Instituts zur Erforschung der Lebensbedingungen der wissenschaftlich-technischen Welt in Starnberg. Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker wurde mit zahlreichen internationalen wissenschaftlichen Preisen sowie dem Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (1963) ausgezeichnet. 2007 verstarb Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. Thomas Görnitz ist Professor für Didaktik der Physik an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. Nach dem Physikstudium und Promotion an der Universität Leipzig und einer politisch bedingten Unterbrechung seiner Forschungslaufbahn ging er 1979 an das Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung der Lebensbedingungen der wissenschaftlich technischen Welt zu Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, um die grundlegenden Verständnisfragen der Quantentheorie zu erforschen. Es folgten Forschungsprojekte zu kosmologischen und mathematischen Fragen der Quantentheorie, bevor Görnitz 1994 nach Forschungsstationen in verschiedenen Max-Planck-Institutionen und an der TU Braunschweig den Ruf nach Frankfurt annahm.

Blurb

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker‘s "Aufbau der Physik", first published in 1985, was intended as an overview of his lifelong concern: an understanding of the unity of physics. That is, the idea of a quantum theory of binary alternatives (the so-called ur-theory), a unified quantum theoretical framework in which spinorial symmetry groups are considered to give rise to the structure of space and time.

The book saw numerous reprints, but it was published in German only.

The present edition, in English, provides a newly arranged and revised version, in which some original chapters and sections have been deleted, and a new chapter about further insights and results of ur-theoretic research of the late 1980’s and 1990’s, mainly by the work of Thomas Görnitz, has been included, as well as a general introduction to Weizsäcker’s Philosophy of Physics.

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker also enjoys high esteem by a much broader audience for his socio-cultural, political and religious thoughts and writings.

In him the intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue has found one of its most important proponents: a great thinker who combines the perspectives of science, philosophy, religion and politics with a view towards the challenges as well as the responsibilities of our time.