Reexamining the quantum-classical relation : beyond reductionism and pluralism

Classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are two of the most successful scientific theories ever discovered, and yet how they can describe the same world is far from clear: one theory is deterministic, the other indeterministic; one theory describes a world in which chaos is pervasive, the other a world in which chaos is absent. Focusing on the exciting field of 'quantum chaos', this book reveals that there is a subtle and complex relation between classical and quantum mechanics. It challenges the received view that classical and quantum mechanics are incommensurable, and revives another, largely forgotten tradition due to Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac. By artfully weaving together considerations from the history of science, philosophy of science, and contemporary physics, this book offers a new way of thinking about intertheory relations and scientific explanation. It will be of particular interest to historians and philosophers of science, philosophically-inclined physicists, and interested non-specialists.

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
1 Intertheoretic relations: Are imperialism and isolationism our only options?	p. 4
1.1 Introduction	p. 4
1.2 Traditional accounts of reductionism	p. 6
1.3 Theoretical pluralism	p. 8
1.4 The limits of the classical limit	p. 14
1.5 Decoherence and the case of Hyperion	p. 21
1.6 Conclusion	p. 27
2 Heisenberg's closed theories and pluralistic realism	p. 29
2.1 Introduction	p. 29
2.2 Abgeschlossene Theorie	p. 31
2.3 Holism, incommensurability, and revolutionary theory change	p. 34
2.4 Theoretical pluralism and realism	p. 38
2.5 The case of Ptolemaic astronomy	p. 42
2.6 The disunity of science	p. 45
3 Dirac's open theories and the reciprocal correspondence principle	p. 49
3.1 Open theories	p. 49
3.2 Structures, analogies, and the reciprocal correspondence principle	p. 51
3.3 A gradualist model of theory change	p. 58
3.4 Beauty and the unity of science	p. 60
3.5 Dirac and the Einstein-Bohr debate	p. 63
4 Bohr's generalization of classical mechanics	p. 73
4.1 The rise and fall of the old quantum theory	p. 73
4.2 The correspondence principle	p. 81
4.3 Quantum theory as a rational generalization	p. 94
4.4 The indispensability of classical concepts	p. 97
4.5 Is Bohr a reductionist or pluralist?	p. 99
4.6 Conclusion	p. 101
5 Semiclassical mechanics: Putting quantum flesh on classical bones	p. 104
5.1 Introduction	p. 104
5.2 A phoenix from the ashes: Semiclassical mechanics	p. 106
5.3 The helium atom solved	p. 110
5.4 Rydberg atoms and electron trajectories	p. 114
5.5 Wavefunction scars and periodic orbits	p. 125
5.6 Conclusion	p. 130
6 Can classical structures explain quantum phenomena?	p. 135
6.1 Introduction	p. 135
6.2 The reality and explanatory power of classical trajectories	p. 137
6.3 Three kinds of model explanations	p. 140
6.4 A general account of model explanations	p. 144
6.5 From structural explanations to structural model explanations	p. 147
6.6 Putting understanding back into explanation	p. 151
7 A structural approach to intertheoretic relations	p. 156
7.1 The challenge of semiclassical mechanics: Reassessing the views	p. 156
7.2 Structural realism without realism ... or antirealism	p. 164
7.3 Beyond reductionism and pluralism: Interstructuralism	p. 171
7.4 Conclusion	p. 174
References	p. 177
Index	p. 191

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