This essay treats of the relationship between quantum and classical mechanics. Both physicists and philosophers hold that quantum mechanics reduces to classical mechanics as ħ→0, or that classical mechanics is a special case of quantum mechanics in this limit. If one theory reduces to another, certain formal and nonformal conditions must be satisfied. These conditions are formulated and it is shown that the Wigner transformation can serve as a natural reduction function in a reduction which satisfies the formal and nonformal conditions. Finally, it is argued that this reduction does not aid in solving the problem of providing an adequate metaphysical interpretation of quantum theory.
","abstract_html":"<p>This essay treats of the relationship between quantum and classical mechanics. Both physicists and philosophers hold that quantum mechanics reduces to classical mechanics as ħ→0, or that classical mechanics is a special case of quantum mechanics in this limit. If one theory reduces to another, certain formal and nonformal conditions must be satisfied. These conditions are formulated and it is shown that the Wigner transformation can serve as a natural reduction function in a reduction which satisfies the formal and nonformal conditions. Finally, it is argued that this reduction does not aid in solving the problem of providing an adequate metaphysical interpretation of quantum theory. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bruer, John Thomas"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bruce W. Knight"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1978,"date_issued":"1978-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1978-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:11:28Z","subjects":["classical mechanics","quantum mechanics","Wigner transformation","formal conditions","metaphysics","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/student_theses_and_dissertations/555","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bruce W. Knight"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bruer, John Thomas"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["classical mechanics","quantum mechanics","Wigner transformation","formal conditions","metaphysics","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/student_theses_and_dissertations/555"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This essay treats of the relationship between quantum and classical mechanics. Both physicists and philosophers hold that quantum mechanics reduces to classical mechanics as ħ→0, or that classical mechanics is a special case of quantum mechanics in this limit. If one theory reduces to another, certain formal and nonformal conditions must be satisfied. These conditions are formulated and it is shown that the Wigner transformation can serve as a natural reduction function in a reduction which satisfies the formal and nonformal conditions. Finally, it is argued that this reduction does not aid in solving the problem of providing an adequate metaphysical interpretation of quantum theory.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Classical Limit of Quantum Theory"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bruce W. Knight"],"dc:creator":["Bruer, John Thomas"],"dc:description.abstract":["This essay treats of the relationship between quantum and classical mechanics. Both physicists and philosophers hold that quantum mechanics reduces to classical mechanics as ħ→0, or that classical mechanics is a special case of quantum mechanics in this limit. If one theory reduces to another, certain formal and nonformal conditions must be satisfied. These conditions are formulated and it is shown that the Wigner transformation can serve as a natural reduction function in a reduction which satisfies the formal and nonformal conditions. Finally, it is argued that this reduction does not aid in solving the problem of providing an adequate metaphysical interpretation of quantum theory.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/student_theses_and_dissertations/555"],"dc:subject":["classical mechanics","quantum mechanics","Wigner transformation","formal conditions","metaphysics","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"dc:title":["The Classical Limit of Quantum Theory"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:11:28Z"}