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Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods (Fundamental Theories of Physics)

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The essential logic of this book is stated at 'Preface': "quantum phenomena do not occur in a Hilbert space, they occur in a laboratory". The author's view is stated on p.26: "The essence of quantum theory is to provide a mathematical representaion of states (that is, of preparation procedures), together with rules for computing the probabilities of the various outcomes of any test." Also, on p.183: "The only meaning of "quantum state" is: a list of the statistical properties of an ensemble of ideally prepared systems." The above pragmatic view of quantum theory is truly innovative, and expected to settle the longstanding controversies over the meaning of quantum theory. The author's view seems to correspond to Einstein's instrumental interpretation of quantum theory, one of Einstein's three interpretations of qunatum theory. (see, A. Fine in "Einstein in Context" pp.257-273: http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Context-Science-Mara-Beller/dp/0521448344/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223250841&sr=1-2 )

This book is the result of something like six years of work. The highly contemplative tone of this deep composition reflects the labor of the author. It is extremely well presented. The many problems range from quite easy (but not trivial) to time demanding mini-projects. The book is written for self-study, too. Which, to me, is something more authors need to embrace.

Final Note: This texts serves as a sophisticated introduction to the foundational aspects of quantum theory. A bit of higher math, computational skill, and a working knowledge of elementary theoretical physics will be useful.

One of the rare books that give a deep and balanced account of Quantum Theory... Concepts are emphasized as much as techniques. Anyone who wants to understand (as opposed to merely use) quantum mechanics should at least have a brief look through such a book...

The author has put serious work and thought to writing this excellent book. It is a graduate level exploration of quantum theory but it is written very clearly. A background in college level physics and mathematics are necessary of course but the book is so well designed that the reader requires only common sense and persistence to complete the journey. I found some of the insights very illuminating. and most of the mathematical work was clear enough for me to comprehend the logic behind the ideas, not just through the accompanying discussion but through the maths itself.

I am not a physicist nor a mathematician, just someone who is scientifically inclined with a deep interest in quantum theory and this book is a very valuable addition to my library. I highly recommend it. the author in my opinion literally guides you through an excellent exploration of the subject matter.

I don't have a physics background. I wanted to understand from the scratch the connections between thermodynamics, information theory and the quantum world. Also I wanted to understand the issue of quantum entanglement a little deeper. I wouldn't say that I found everything that I was looking for in this book. But it did give me a very good start and more pointers for what to look for.

First of all, let me say that I personally recommend this book to everyone that I know; not only physicists. This book is sufficiently accessible that my friends who are philosophers of science, computer scientists, etc. are able to read it. Anyone with an interest in Quantum Theory, really, can handle this book. That, and this book has an Easter-egg; look up "uncertainty principle" in the index!

This book does an incredible at presenting quantum theory from a perspective with the *fewest* assumptions. For anyone interested in foundational/interpretational questions, this is essential. That being said, it can be a challenging read even for a researcher in physics. Aspects of the Hilbert Space formalism that are usually suppressed under a simpler undergraduate presentation (eg. Griffiths or Liboff) or the standard graduate presentation (eg. Sakurai) are brought to the forefront. By largely abandoning Dirac notation, the reader is forced to think more about the operational approach to quantum mechanics, not simply how to calculate quantum probabilities. The exercises aren't exceptionally difficult, are practical, and well chosen.

Once the foundation is set, the book proceeds to cover those topics of quantum theory that have had the greatest philosophical and conceptual impact since the theory's conception. Peres devotes a great deal of the book to issues such as EPR and Bell's inequalities. He continues by introducing contextuality and the Kochen-Specker theorem; KS is nearly as important a result as Bell's inequalities, but isn't mentioned in most introductory presentations of QM.

After committing the book to various other frequently uncovered topics (see the book's contents) he even goes on to talk about quantum information and the measurement process.

I'll summarize with this: for the reader who is interested in learning about quantum mechanics and not simply learning how to be a quantum mechanic, this is, hands down, the single best book. After reading, your insights are bound to run far deeper than ever before.