Berlin 2014 – scientific programme

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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 4: Quantum-Classical Divide II

AGPhil 4.1: Invited Talk

Thursday, March 20, 2014, 14:00–14:45, SPA SR22

Quantum Flesh on Classical Bones: Semiclassical Bridges across the Quantum-Classical Divide — •Alisa Bokulich — Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

Traditionally quantum mechanics is viewed as having made a sharp break from classical mechanics, and the concepts and methods of these two theories are viewed as incommensurable with one another. A closer examination of the history of quantum mechanics, however, reveals that there is a strong sense in which quantum mechanics was built on the backbone of classical mechanics. As a result, there is a considerable structural continuity between these two theories, despite their important differences. These structural continuities provide a ground for semiclassical methods in which classical structures, such as trajectories, are used to investigate and model quantum phenomena. After briefly tracing the history of semiclassical approaches, I will show how current research in semiclassical mechanics is revealing new bridges across the quantum-classical divide.