Sketch of the Formalism

Abstract

This chapter reviews the quantum theoretical formalism and sketches its foundational problems. The main function of this chapter is to establish common ground for the interpretive discussions which follow, not to provide a comprehensive introduction to quantum theory.⁶ Its first section recapitulates the essential aspects of the Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics, the second section covers the textbook account of measurement and measurement collapse, and the third and final section outlines the quantum theoretical treatment of many-component systems and explains the concept of quantum entanglement. Further introductory material is provided in the Appendices A, B, and C, all of which cover important no-go theorems for the interpretation of the theory.