Author Description

The book presents a comprehensive treatment of quantum mechanics at the post graduate level. The emphasis is on the physical foundations and the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics; applications to specific problems are taken up only to illustrate a principle or a calculational technique under discussion. The book begins with a preview of the conceptual problem peculiar to quantum mechanics. The introductory chapter also contains a formulation of the basic laws of motion in quantum mechanics in terms of the Feynman postulates. Chapter 2 contains a detailed exposition of the linear vector spaces and representation theory. In Chapter 3 the basic principles of quantum mechanics are introduced in the form of a number of postulates. The Schrodinger, the Heisenberg and the Interaction pictures of time development form the subject matter of Chapter 4. An indepth study of angular momentum theory (Chapter 5) is followed by a brief account of space-time symmetries including time reversal invariance (Chapter 6). Scattering theory (Chapter 7), approximation methods for stationary as well as time-dependent problems (Chapter 8) and Identical Particles (Chapter 9) receive adequate treatment. The Dirac, the Klein-Gordon and the Weyl equations are discussed extensively in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 treats canonical quantization of both non-relativistic and relativistic fields; topics covered include the natural system of units, the Dyson and the Wick chronological products, normal products, Wick's theorem and the Feynman diagrams. The last Chapter (12) discusses in detail the Interpretational Problem in quantum mechanics. The EPR paradox, the Copenhagen and the Ensemble interpretations, hidden-variable theories, Neumann's and Bell's theorems and Bell's inequality are among the topics discussed. The Appendices incorporate a detailed discussion of matrices both finite-and-infinite dimensional, antilinear operators, Dirac delta function and Fourier transforms. A number of problems are included with a view to supplementing the text.