“Zur Quantenmechanik der Stoßvorgänge” (”Quantum Mechanics of Collision”) in Zeitschrift für Physik 37 pp. 863-867, 1926). “Quantenmechanik der Stoßvorgänge” in Zeitschrift für Physik 38 pp. 803-827, 1926. "Das Adiabatenprinzip in der Quantenmechanik" (“The Adiabatic Principle in Quantum Mechanics”) in Zeitschrift für Physik 40 pp. 167-192, 1926) by Born, Max

THREE VOLUME FIRST EDITIONS of Born’s momentous statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics, also known as the probability interpretation of the wave function. Born came to his decisive breakthrough in understanding wave function when, “in a paper on the scattering of electrons from atoms, [he] observed that the most obvious interpretation of the wave function is that it represents the probability of finding the electron at a given location. More precisely, he added almost off-handedly in a footnote, its square represents probability, and this observation is now called the Born Rule” (Peacock, The Quantum Revolution, 58). In his “precise and very detailed” second paper, “Quantenmechanik der Stoßvorgänge,” Born”states that matrix mechanics started out from the assumption that it is impossible in principle to exactly describe a process in space and time… In wave mechanics Schrödinger had tried to construct ‘wave groups’ [now called wave packets], which have small dimensions in all directions and obviously are supposed to represent the moving particle’. Instead, he proposes to try a third interpretation and to test its usefulness on scattering processes” (Brandt, The Harvest of the Century, 170). Born summarizes his interpretation with “The motion of a particle follows probability laws but the probability propagates according to the laws of causality.” The third paper, "Das Adiabatenprinzip in der Quantenmechanik,” is Born’s further development on thestatistical interpretation of quantum mechanics. CONDITION & DETAILS: 8vo. Three volume first edition set recently rebound in a handsome grey/black cloth with gilt-lettered spines. Near fine condition inside and out.