This edited book presents the problems of time and direction from an interdisciplinary point of view, concentrating in particular on the following relations: • Time and physics • Time, philosophy and psychology • Time, mathematics and information theory It is a unique contribution by philosophers and scientists who are active in mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, information theory and psychology. Questions such as the existence of a Big Bang, the neurobiological basis regarding the coexistence of free will and determinism, intercultural aspects of time, mathematical models of time, psychopathological features of time, and micro reversibility versus macroscopic irreversibility are studied. It also provides a truly interdisciplinary study of the problematic 'arrow of time'.

An introduction to the arrow of time and a new, related, theory of quantum measurement.

Statistical mechanics attempts to explain the behaviour of macroscopic physical systems in terms of the mechanical properties of their constituents. Although it is one of the fundamental theories of physics, it has received little attention from philosophers of science. Nevertheless, it raises philosophical questions of fundamental importance on the nature of time, chance and reduction. Most philosophical issues in this domain relate to the question of the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics. This book addresses issues inherent in this reduction: the time-asymmetry of thermodynamics and its absence in statistical mechanics; the role and essential nature of chance and probability in this reduction when thermodynamics is non-probabilistic; and how, if at all, the reduction is possible. Compiling contributions on current research by experts in the field, this is an invaluable survey of the philosophy of statistical mechanics for academic researchers and graduate students interested in the foundations of physics.

Describing the phase of an electromagnetic field mode or harmonic oscillator has been an obstacle since the early days of modern quantum theory. The quantum phase operator was even more problematic with the invention of the maser and laser in the 1950s and 1960s. This problem was not solved until the Pegg-Barnett formalism was developed in the 1980s. Edited by one of the scientists who created this key solution, The Quantum Phase Operator: A Review charts the development of phase and angle operators from their first appearance to modern theory. Bringing together vital works that have been published on the subject, the book presents the ideas that led to the current theory of the phase operator and provides a complete picture of the progress that has followed since then. With introductions by the editors to put the papers in context and unify the content of the book, each section focuses on a different aspect of phase operators. The editors also chronologically organize the papers within the sections to highlight how scientific thought has evolved, if at all, over time. A collection of important relevant material that is scattered throughout the literature, this volume chronicles the history of the various facets of the quantum phase operator, promoting a solid foundation in quantum theory.

This volume includes new topics such as the stochastic limit approach to nonequilibrium states, a new algebraic approach to relativistic nonequilibrium local states, classical and quantum features of weak chaos, transports in quantum billiards, the Welcher-Weg puzzle with a decaying atom, and the topics related to the quantum Zeno effect.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: ? Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)

Ultrafast photonics has become an interdisciplinary topic of high international research interest because of the spectacular development of compact and efficient lasers producing optical pulses with durations in the femtosecond time domain. Present day long-haul telecommunications systems are almost entirely based on the transmission of short burst