Book Details

• Author: B. L. Van Der Waerden

• Publisher: HarperCollins

• Language: English

• Edition: Not specified

• ISBN: 9780486458922

• Number of Pages: 430

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches

• Weight: Not specified

About the Book

This volume brings together seventeen seminal papers that played a pivotal role in the development of quantum theory during the early 20th century. The collection begins with Max Planck's groundbreaking 1900 lecture, which laid the foundation for quantum theory. But Planck's statement was just the beginning. The papers included in this book, written between 1917 and 1926 by leading physicists such as Einstein, Ehrenfest, Bohr, Born, Heisenberg, and others, trace the evolution of quantum theory into its modern form.

The collection opens with Einstein's landmark paper "On the Quantum Theory of Radiation," which offers an illuminating derivation of Planck's Law. As the volume progresses, each subsequent paper builds upon the last, providing crucial insights into the concepts of quantum mechanics. Notably, Heisenberg's "Quantum-Theoretical Re-Interpretation of Kinematic and Mechanical Relations" represents the "turning point" in the development of quantum mechanics, leading to its fully realized modern form.

Alongside these influential papers, the volume includes a 59-page historical introduction by the editor, Professor B. L. van der Waerden. His introduction offers valuable connective commentary, quoting from relevant correspondence, and analyzing the intellectual climate of the era. The introduction provides a deep understanding of the significance of each paper, noting how each contributed to the grand shift in physics at the time.

This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of quantum theory and the intellectual contributions that shaped one of the most transformative areas of modern science.