1st Edition

V.A. Fock - Selected Works Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory

Edited By L.D. Faddeev, L.A. Khalfin, I.V. Komarov Copyright 2004
    584 Pages
    by CRC Press

    580 Pages
    by CRC Press

    In the period between the birth of quantum mechanics and the late 1950s, V.A. Fock wrote papers that are now deemed classics. In his works on theoretical physics, Fock not only skillfully applied advanced analytical and algebraic methods, but also systematically created new mathematical tools when existing approaches proved insufficient.

    This collection of Fock's papers published in various sources between 1923 and 1959 in Russian, German, French, and English. These papers explore some of the fundamental notions of theoretical quantum physics, such as the Hartree-Fock method, Fock space, the Fock symmetry of the hydrogen atom, and the Fock functional method. They also present Fock's views on the interpretation of quantum mechanics and the fundamental significance of approximate methods in theoretical physics.

    V.A. Fock was a key contributor to one of the most exciting periods of development in 20th-century physics, and this book conveys the essence of that time. The seminal works presented in this book are a helpful reference for any student or researcher in theoretical and mathematical physics, especially those specializing in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory.

    On Rayleigh's Pendulum. On Schrodinger's Wave Mechanics. On the Invariant form of the Wave Equation and of the Equations of Motion for a Charged Massive Point. A Comment on Quantization of the Harmonic Oscillator in a Magnetic Field. On the Relation Between the Integrals of the Quantum Mechanical Equations of Motion and the Schrodinger Wave Equation. Generalization and Solution of the Dirac Statistical Equation. Proof of the Adiabatic Theorem. On “Improper” Functions in Quantum Mechanics. On the Notion of Velocity in the Dirac Theory of the Electron. On the Dirac Equations in General Relativity. Dirac Wave Equation and Riemann Geometry. A Comment on the Virial Relation. An Approximate Method for Solving the Quantum Many-body Problem. Application of the Generalized Hartree Method to the Sodium Atom. New Uncertainty Properties of the Electromagnetic Field. The Mechanics of Photons. A Comment on the Virial Relation in Classical Mechanics. Configuration Space and Second Quantization. On Dirac's Quantum Electrodynamics. On Quantization of Electro-magnetic waves and Interaction of Charges in Dirac Theory. On Quantum Electrodynamics. On the Theory of Positrons. On Quantum Exchange Energy. On the Numerical Solution of Generalized Equations of the Self-Consistent Field. An Approximate Representation of the Wave Functions of Penetrating Orbits. On Quantum Electrodynamics. Hydrogen Atom and Non-Euclidean Geometry. Extremal Problems in Quantum Theory. The Fundamental Significance of Approximate Methods in Theoretical Physics. The Method of Functionals in Quantum Electrodynamics. Proper Time in Classical and Quantum Mechanics. Incomplete Separation of Variables for Divalent Atoms. On the Wave Functions of Many-Electron Systems. On the Representation of an Arbitrary Function by an Integral Involving Legendre's Function with a Complex Index. On the Uncertainty Relation Between Time and Energy. Application of Two-electron Functions in the Theory of Chemical Bonds. On the Interpreta

    Biography

    L. D. Faddeev, L. A. Khalfin, I. V. Komarov