Probability in Physics

Yemima Ben-Menahem is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Introduction.- Physics and Chance.- Typicality and the Role of the Lebesgue Measure in Statistical Mechanics.- Typicality and Notions of Probability in Physics.- Deterministic Laws and Epistemic Chances.- Measures over Initial Conditions.- A New Approach to the Approach to Equilibrium.- Revising Statistical Mechanics - Probability, Typicality and Closure Time.- How Many Maxwell's Demons and Where?.- Locality and Determinism: the Odd Couple.- Why the Tsirelson Bound?.- Three Attempts at Two Axioms for Quantum Mechanics.- Generalized Probability Measures and the Framework of Effects.- Infinitely Challenging: Pitowsky's Subjective Interpretation and the Physics of Infinite Systems.- Bayesian Conditioning, the Reflection Principle, and Quantum Decoherence.- The World According to de Finetti.- Four and a Half Axioms for Finite-Dimensional Quantum Probability.- Probability in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.-

From the reviews:
"This collection of 18 essays looks at the long-debated role of probability in physics. ... This collection leaves readers appreciating the complexity of the philosophical problem. Physicists and philosophers of science should both find this interesting. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals." (E. Kincanon, Choice, Vol. 50 (1), September, 2012)