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.