Esposito, Marmo, Sudarshan - From Classical To Quantum Mechanics - Formalism, Foundations, Applications (Cambridge, 2004).pdf

From Classical to
Quantum Mechanics
This book provides a pedagogical introduction to the formalism, foundations and appli-
cations of quantum mechanics. Part I covers the basic material that is necessary to an
understanding of the transition from classical to wave mechanics. Topics include classical
dynamics, with emphasis on canonical transformations and the Hamilton–Jacobi equation;
the Cauchy problem for the wave equation, the Helmholtz equation and eikonal approxi-
mation; and introductions to spin, perturbation theory and scattering theory. The Weyl
quantization is presented in Part II, along with the postulates of quantum mechanics. The
Weyl programme provides a geometric framework for a rigorous formulation of canonical
quantization, as well as powerful tools for the analysis of problems of current interest in
quantum physics. In the chapters devoted to harmonic oscillators and angular momentum
operators, the emphasis is on algebraic and group-theoretical methods. Quantum entan-
glement, hidden-variable theories and the Bell inequalities are also discussed. Part III is
devoted to topics such as statistical mechanics and black-body radiation, Lagrangian and
phase-space formulations of quantum mechanics, and the Dirac equation.
This book is intended for use as a textbook for beginning graduate and advanced
undergraduate courses. It is self-contained and includes problems to advance the reader’s
understanding.
Giampiero Esposito received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in
1991 and has been INFN Research Fellow at Naples University since November 1993. His
research is devoted to gravitational physics and quantum theory. His main contributions
are to the boundary conditions in quantum field theory and quantum gravity via func-
tional integrals.
Giuseppe Marmo has been Professor of Theoretical Physics at Naples University
since 1986, where he is teaching the first undergraduate course in quantum mechanics.
His research interests