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Mirror Symmetry (Clay Mathematics Monographs, V. 1)
Manufacturer: American Mathematical Society ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0821829556 |
Book Description
This thorough and detailed exposition is the result of an intensive month-long course sponsored by the Clay Mathematics Institute. It develops mirror symmetry from both mathematical and physical perspectives. The material will be particularly useful for those wishing to advance their understanding by exploring mirror symmetry at the interface of mathematics and physics.This one-of-a-kind volume offers the first comprehensive exposition on this increasingly active area of study. It is carefully written by leading experts who explain the main concepts without assuming too much prerequisite knowledge. The book is an excellent resource for graduate students and research mathematicians interested in mathematical and theoretical physics.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed overview of the subject.......2005-05-16
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Exploring the Quantum: Atoms, Cavities, and Photons (Oxford Graduate Texts)
Serge Haroche , and Jean-Michel Raimond Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0198509146 |
Book Description
The counter-intuitive aspects of quantum physics have been for long illustrated by thought experiments, from Einstein's photon box to Schrodinger's cat. These experiments have now become real, with single particles - electrons, atoms or photons - directly unveiling the weird features of the quantum. State superpositions, entanglement and complementarity define a novel quantum logic which can be harnessed for information processing, raising great hopes for applications. This book describes a class of such thought experiments made real. Juggling with atoms and photons confined in cavities, ions or cold atoms in traps, is here an incentive to shed a new light on the basic concepts of quantum physics. Measurement processes and decoherence at the quantum-classical boundary are highlighted. This volume, which combines theory and experiments, will be of interest to students in quantum physics, teachers seeking illustrations for their lectures and new problem sets, researchers in quantum optics and quantum information.
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Aspects of Symmetry: Selected Erice Lectures
Sidney Coleman Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0521318270 |
Book Description
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.Customer Reviews:
A wonderful book to supplement one's QFT knowledge.......2003-08-04
A Classic.......2003-05-17
unconventional QFT book.......2000-04-13
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Methods in Theoretical Quantum Optics (Oxford Series in Optical and Imaging Sciences)
Stephen M. Barnett , and Paul M. Radmore Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0198563620 |
Book Description
This book is aimed at those readers who already have some knowledge of mathematical methods and have also been introduced to the basic ideas of quantum optics. It should be attractive to students who have already explored one of the more introductory texts such as Loudon's The quantum theory of light (2/e, 1983, OUP) and are seeking to acquire the mathematical skills used in real problems. This book is not primarily about the physics of quantum optics but rather presents the mathematical methods widely used by workers in this field. There is no comparable book which covers either the range or the depth of mathematical techniques.Customer Reviews:
Review of "Methods in theoretical quantum optics".......2001-10-18
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Classical and Quantum Computation (Graduate Studies in Mathematics)
A. Yu. Kitaev , A. H. Shen , and M. N. Vyalyi Manufacturer: Amer Mathematical Society ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0821832298 |
Book Description
This book is an introduction to a new rapidly developing theory of quantum computing. It begins with the basics of classical theory of computation: Turing machines, Boolean circuits, parallel algorithms, probabilistic computation, NP-complete problems, and the idea of complexity of an algorithm. The second part of the book provides an exposition of quantum computation theory. It starts with the introduction of general quantum formalism (pure states, density matrices, and superoperators), universal gate sets and approximation theorems. Then the authors study various quantum computation algorithms: Grover's algorithm, Shor's factoring algorithm, and the Abelian hidden subgroup problem. In concluding sections, several related topics are discussed (parallel quantum computation, a quantum analog of NP-completeness, and quantum error-correcting codes).Rapid development of quantum computing started in 1994 with a stunning suggestion by Peter Shor to use quantum computation for factoring large numbers--an extremely difficult and time-consuming problem when using a conventional computer. Shor's result spawned a burst of activity in designing new algorithms and in attempting to actually build quantum computers. Currently, the progress is much more significant in the former: A sound theoretical basis of quantum computing is under development and many algorithms have been suggested.
In this concise text, the authors provide solid foundations to the theory--in particular, a careful analysis of the quantum circuit model--and cover selected topics in depth. Included are a complete proof of the Solovay-Kitaev theorem with accurate algorithm complexity bounds, approximation of unitary operators by circuits of doubly logarithmic depth. Among other interesting topics are toric codes and their relation to the anyon approach to quantum computing.
Customer Reviews:
A clear, concise exposition.......2007-04-09
Complexity of algorithms........2002-08-31
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The Theory of Open Quantum Systems
Heinz-Peter Breuer , and Francesco Petruccione Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0199213909 |
Book Description
This book treats the central physical concepts and mathematical techniques used to investigate the dynamics of open quantum systems. To provide a self-contained presentation the text begins with a survey of classical probability theory and with an introduction into the foundations of quantum mechanics with particular emphasis on its statistical interpretation. The fundamentals of density matrix theory, quantum Markov processes and dynamical semigroups are developed. The most important master equations used in quantum optics and in the theory of quantum Brownian motion are applied to the study of many examples. Special attention is paid to the theory of environment induced decoherence, its role in the dynamical description of the measurement process and to the experimental observation of decohering Schrodinger cat states. The book includes the modern formulation of open quantum systems in terms of stochastic processes in Hilbert space. Stochastic wave function methods and Monte Carlo algorithms are designed and applied to important examples from quantum optics and atomic physics, such as Levy statistics in the laser cooling of atoms, and the damped Jaynes-Cummings model. The basic features of the non-Markovian quantum behaviour of open systems are examined on the basis of projection operator techniques. In addition, the book expounds the relativistic theory of quantum measurements and discusses several examples from a unified perspective, e.g. non-local measurements and quantum teleportation. Influence functional and super-operator techniques are employed to study the density matrix theory in quantum electrodynamics and applications to the destruction of quantum coherence are presented. The text addresses graduate students and lecturers in physics and applied mathematics, as well as researchers with interests in fundamental questions in quantum mechanics and its applications. Many analytical methods and computer simulation techniques are developed and illustrated with the help of numerous specific examples. Only a basic understanding of quantum mechanics and of elementary concepts of probability theory is assumed.
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Wave Motion (Texts in Applied Mathematics, No. 24)
J. Billingham , and A. C. King Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0521634504 |
Book Description
Waves are a ubiquitous and important feature of the physical world, and, throughout history, it has been a major challenge to understand them. This introduction to the mathematics of wave phenomena is aimed at advanced undergraduate courses for mathematicians, physicists or engineers. Some more advanced material on both linear and nonlinear waves is also included, making the book suitable for beginning graduate courses. The authors assume some familiarity with partial differential equations, integral transforms and asymptotic expansions as well as with fluid mechanics, elasticity, and electromagnetism. The context and physics that underlie the mathematics is clearly explained at the beginning of each chapter. Worked examples and exercises are supplied throughout, with solutions available to teachers.Customer Reviews:
Excellent Overview of Basic Wave Theory.......2002-06-28
Wave Motion.......2001-09-15
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Lorentzian Wormholes: From Einstein to Hawking (AIP Series in Computational and Applied Mathematical Physics)
Matt Visser Manufacturer: American Institute of Physics ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1563966530 |
Book Description
From H.G. Wells to Star Trek, audiences have been captivated by the notions of time travel, time warps, space warps, and wornholes. But science fiction is not the only realm where these concepts thrive. An active group of general relativists and quantum field theorists has produced a considerable body of serious (thought admittedly speculative) mathematical and physical analyses of the wormhole system. Now, with this fascinating book, readers can explore in depth the science behind the science fiction. Drawing on pivotal work by Einstein, Wheeler, Morris, Thorne, Hawking, and others, Matt Visser charts the development and current state of Lorentzian wormhole physics. Dr. Visser shows that by pushing established physical theories to their limits, it is possible to deduce the physical properties of such exotica as wormholes and time travel. The physical framework he uses is derived from one of the major research frontiers of modern theoretical physics: quantum gravity-the intersection of classical Einstein gravity and quantum field theory. Physicists, students of general relativity, cosmology, quantum physics, or any interested reader with a background in physics wil find this a provocative introduction to an exciting and active topic of ongoing research.Customer Reviews:
Buy a used copy.......2002-01-22
After a brief overview of general relativity and quantum field theory, the author devotes the first part of the book to the history of wormhole physics. I was surprised to learn that the study of wormholes goes as far back as 1916 in paper by the physicist L.Flamm. But it was the desire of A. Einstein and N. Rosen to build a geometrical model of an elementary particle that is finite and singularity-free that set the tone for the research that continues to this day. Their ideas are reviewed in detail, and the author shows that viewing elementary particles as they did predicts they have internal structure, contrary to experiment. The contributions of J.A. Wheeler, namely his interest in topological issues in general relativity, and his geon/spacetime foam ideas are discussed also. The role of wormhole physics in developing a quantum theory of gravity, via the quantization of weak field gravity and the subsequent appearance of gravitons is treated also. The author lists the things that be done with quantized linearized gravity and gives references for research that counters the idea of spacetime foam. "Back-of-the-envelope" calculations are given for the importance of quantum fluctuations in the gravitational field at Planckian scales. A very interesting, and critical discussion is given of topology changes of spacetime via quantum fluctuations. The author states (but does not prove) various theorems regarding the topology of spacetime if a Lorentz metric is put on it. These results are pretty restrictive in limiting the existence of certain topology changes, but as the author remarks, one can abandon the idea of spacetime being everywhere-Lorentzian if one gives up the strong equivalence principle, an idea he clearly is not comfortable with. Given his remarks, it is interesting to ask whether quantum fluctuations could force a violation of the strong equivalence principle. The author does consider the role of quantum tunneling in changing spacetime topology, but concludes that it is not a meaningful question. However, he does devote a brief paragraph to the consideration of an energy-dependent effective topology which is the one of relevance to physics. Based on the "quantum claustrophobia" effect arising from the tendency of a particle to avoid small regions (i.e Heisenberg uncertainty), some regions of spacetime may thus not be visible from a quantum point of view. The author gives one example of this, but this idea has far-reaching consequences: not just for physics but for mathematics. If viewed from a quantum perspective, many of the usual mathematical structures in topology and other areas of mathematics are changed considerably. One can then perform a kind of interpolation between "quantum" and "classical" mathematical constructions.
The author switches to more modern developments in part 3, with the idea of a traversable wormhole due to M. S. Morris and K.S. Thorne leading off the discussion. These wormholes are shown to violate the weak, strong, and dominant energy conditions, implying the existence of negative energy density near the throat of the wormhole. The existence of this energy will remind the reader of the Casimir effect, and the author does discuss this effect in detail. In addition, the thin shell formalism is discussed as a tool to analyze traversable wormholes without spherical geometry. Global techniques and the topological censorship are used to give a mathematically precise definition of a traversable wormhole, although the censorship theorem is not proven.
Part 4 attempts to remove the idea of time travel from pure fantasy science fiction and give it more of a scientific foundation. The author is convincing in his efforts, via his thorough analysis of causality conditions in spacetime, and the explicit constructions of simple time machines, which in the author's words are a consequence of general relativity being "infested" with geometries that produce them. The van Stockum, Godel, Kerr, and Gott tiem machines are discussed in detail, and the author shows explicitly how to construct time machines via wormholes. He also addresses the problems that arise in the actual construction of these time machines, such as the possibility of a non-Hausdorff topology, the problem of unique histories (Novikov conjecture), the breakdown of unitarity in the quantum realm, and the Hawking chronology protection conjecture.
Section 5 is an overview of the quantum field theory needed for a study of wormhole physics. The author shows that time- and space-orientable spacetimes are incompatible with the Standard model. He discusses in detail the result that the ANEC condition can be violated by scale anomalies. Readers will have to have a very detailed knowledge of quantum field theory in curved spacetime to follow the discussion. The calculation of van Vleck determinants, familiar as Green function techniques, are done also. The stress-energy tensor is calculated explictly for traversable wormhole spacetimes. The Wheeler-DeWitt minisuperspace formalism is used to shed light on the quantum aspects of Lorentzian wormholes, and the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for Einstein gravity on minisuperspace is solved exactly.
The last part of the book is more of a send off to the reader and an encouragement for further reading on the issues in the book A list of research problems in given for the ambitious and curious reader.
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Quantum Mechanics - Fundamentals and Applications to Technology
Jasprit Singh Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0471157589 |
Book Description
Explore the relationship between quantum mechanics and information-age applicationsCustomer Reviews:
Great for EE or MSE students.......2006-02-06
Singh's Quantum Mechanics.......1997-11-18
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Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers
Robert Hilborn Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0198507232 |
Book Description
Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics introduces students, scientists, and engineers to the full range of activity in the rapidly growing field on nonlinear dynamics. Using a step-by-step introduction to dynamics and geometry in state space as the central focus of understanding nonlinear dynamics, this book includes a thorough treatment of both differential equation models and iterated map models (including a derivation of the famous Feigenbaum numbers). It is the only book at this level to include the increasingly important field of pattern formation and a survey of the controversial questions of quantum chaos. Important tools such as Lyapunov exponents and fractal dimensions are treated in detail. With over 200 figures and diagrams, and analytic and computer exercises for every chapter, the book can be used as a course-text or for self-instruction. This second edition has been restructured to make the book even more useful as a course text:many of the more complex examples and derivations have been moved to appendices. The extensive collection of annotated references has been updated through January 2000 and now includes listings of World Wide Web sites at many of the major nonlinear dynamics research centers. From reviews on the 1/e: 'What has been lacking is a single book that takes the reader with nothing but a knowledge of elementary calculus and physics all the way to the frontiers of research in chaos and nonlinear dynamics in all its facets. [...] a serious student, teacher, or researcher would be delighted to have this book on the shelf as a reference and as a window to the literature in this exciting and rapidly growing new field of chaos.' J.C. Sprott, American Journal of Physics, September 19944 'I congratulate the author on having managed to write an extremely thorough, comprehensive, and entertaining introduction to the fascinating field of nonlinear dynamics. His book is highly self- explanatory and ideally suited for self-instruction. There is hardly any question that the author does not address in an exceptionally readable manner. [...] I strongly recommend it to those looking for a comprehensive, practical, and not highly mathematical approach to the subject.' E.A. Hunt, IEEE Spectrum, December 1994Customer Reviews:
A good book for introduction.......2007-05-22
An excellent introduction.......2007-03-09
A excellent introduction to chaos.......2003-11-25
By this I do not mean that the author skips over the required mathematics. The text is intended for people with a solid background in differential equations, and some familiarity with classical dynamical systems is also helpful if not completely necessary. I would say it is targeted for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students in the mathematical sciences, as well as scientists/engineers with no background in chaos theory. However he does not get bogged down in mathematics at the expense of physical insight. I have been studying the book on my own and have run into few problems in understanding the explanations.
The first chapter goes over 3 chaotic systems as a practical way of introducing the reader to various features of such systems. This provides a basis of practical experience to draw upon for the rest of the book, where the principles of chaos are examined in greater detail. The extensive references given in the book are a valuable addition that can be used to further explore the scientific literature. The references include journal papers as well as books, articles, and software for dynamical systems.
If you have the requisite mathematical background and want to learn the basics of chaos and nonlinear dynamics, I highly recommend this book.
fundamental, systematic.......2001-11-07
If you read other books, you will eventually comment,'chaos is something related to mathematics, very abstract, has nothing to do with my messy bedroom...'
But if you read this book, you will scream,'Great! I have figured out the richness of the nonlinear world. I understand the different dynamical routes to chaos. I know different quantifying methods with their pros and cons. Most fascinating is that chaos is related to pattern formation and self organization, which I consider them as another field of knowledge before. Also chaos may provide a new approach to quantum mechanics, a good news for those including me who do not believe in the parallel universe interpretation. By the way, I learnt a lot from this book!'
Good book!.......2000-08-05
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