Quantum physics, fuzzy sets and logic. Steps towards a many-valued interpretation of quantum mechanics (Q2348340)

The book summarizes decades of search of an adequate formulation of quantum mechanics using fuzzy set tools. The author was in the center of this activity, he had to overcome many difficulties and reject axioms which were not properly chosen. Now he presents the results in a concise and compact form. The aim is not to combine probabilistic description of quantum and fuzzy systems. Quantum structures remain the principal point of interest and the author shows the role which fuzzy logical operations can play in the description and interpretation of a quantum system. Each event is represented by the functional assigning its probability at each state. A different first version of this idea appeared in [\textit{M. J. Maczynski} and \textit{T. Traczyk}, Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci., Sér. Sci. Math. Astron. Phys. 21, 3--8 (1973; Zbl 0265.06003)]. This representation requires that there are ``enough'' states, forming an order-determining set; this assumption is considered obvious by physicists. Then Łukasiewicz operations are used to compute conjunctions and disjunctions of events in this functional representation. These operations are necessarily only partial. (E.g., this disjunction is defined for orthogonal elements and only some other arguments.) Also the order-theoretical operations, join and meet, may be only partial. Moreover, even when they are defined, they do not represent the physically motivated conjunction and disjunction, thus they are not sufficient for a description of a quantum mechanical system. Łukasiewicz operations represent a better (and well-motivated) alternative to the order-theoretical ones, but both have their role in the description. This is one of the main conclusions of this book, correcting views developed in numerous preceding papers. As fuzzy logical operations are only partial in this model, it cannot be compared to the deep study of measures on families of fuzzy sets, especially in the monograph [\textit{D. Butnariu} and \textit{E. P. Klement}, Triangular norm-based measures and games with fuzzy coalitions. Theory and Decision Library. Series C: Game Theory, Mathematical Programming and Operations Research. 10. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (1993; Zbl 0804.90145)]. Much attention is devoted to the physical interpretation of the mathematical concepts; in particular, the two-split experiment is explained in detail. The author interprets fuzzy truth values only as degrees of probability, developing in time as the experiment proceeds. The monograph [\textit{P. Hájek}, Metamathematics of fuzzy logic. Trends in Logic-Studia Logica Library. 4. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (1998; Zbl 0937.03030)] influenced recent research of fuzzy logics. According to Hájek, fuzziness describes gradual truth values which may be, but typically are not, interpreted as probabilities. In contrast to it the book under review uses fuzzy values only to evaluate degrees to which an event is ``probably true''. This is only one of possible interpretations of fuzziness, the mainstream works with Hájek's interpretation. Thus this book represents only one restricted interpretation of fuzzy logic, sufficient for the given purpose. The book is very easy to read; a feature rarely encountered in this field. The historical overview is rather detailed, the author found some forgotten sources and put them in context which is of separate interest. The language and typesetting were paid much attention, very few misprints remained. The book does not end the effort in searching the optimal formulation of quantum mechanics; it completes one period and leaves new questions and challenges for future research; a perspective is drawn at the end. Now physicists are expected to comment its contribution and say to which extent this interpretation is satisfactory for them. In any case, it is a good deal of advanced mathematical work which summarizes experience from one epoch of research.