The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: The Reality of Possibility

by Ruth E. Kastner

A comprehensive exposition of the transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics (TI), this book sheds new light on longstanding problems in quantum theory and provides insight into the compatibility of TI with relativity. It breaks new ground in interpreting quantum theory, presenting a compelling new picture of quantum reality. The book shows how TI can be used to solve the measurement problem of quantum mechanics and explain other puzzles, such as the origin of the 'Born Rule' for the probabilities of measurement results. It addresses and resolves various objections and challenges to TI, such as Maudlin's inconsistency challenge. It explicitly extends TI into the relativistic domain, providing new insight into the basic compatibility of TI with relativity and the physical meaning of 'virtual particles'. This book is ideal for researchers and graduate students interested in the philosophy of physics and the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Genres: Physics

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2012

Reviews

[Ashu Pachauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who as basic to medium level understanding of quantum information theory and quantum mechanics, I find this a very insightful read. Quantum mechanics has, since the inception, been something that no one "really understands" or in other words, "it's hard to comprehend the implications of QM in real world".
Transactional Interpretation, first proposed by J G Cramer, is one of the many attempts at making this connection, and Kastner here, makes a beautiful attempt towards the same. First few chapters of the book will make sense to someone with basic understanding of QM, but the book itself is really aimed at someone who has a good understanding of QM and related concepts like Quantum Field Theory.

[Jean Bosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kastner's "Understanding Our Unseen Reality" covers almost all (if not all) of the same territory and she seems to do a better job of structuring her ideas in that book - but if you can only get your eyes on this one, it's worth it as this seems to me to be a promising pathway after a century of shrugging our way in various unsatisfying directions.