
Reconsidering the 1927 Solvay Conference
University of Sydney
Mon, Sep. 03rd 2007, 11:00
SPEC Amphi Bloch, Bât.774,, Orme des Merisiers
We reconsider the crucial 1927 Solvay conference in the context of current research in the foundations of quantum theory. Contrary to folklore, the interpretation question was not settled at this conference and no consensus was reached; instead, a range of sharply conflicting views were presented and extensively discussed. Today, there is no longer an established or dominant interpretation of quantum theory, so it is important to re-evaluate the historical sources and keep the interpretation debate open. The proceedings of the conference contain much unexpected material. After providing a brief overview, we shall focus on the extensive discussions of de Broglie's pilot-wave theory, which de Broglie presented for a many-body system, including the much misunderstood critique by Pauli. This talk is based on our English translation and commentary of the proceedings of the conference, Quantum Theory at the Crossroads (forthcoming with Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 9780521814218). Joint work with Antony Valentini.


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