Mathematical Physics

    

Introduction to Bayesian Probability and Its Use in Theoretical Physics

Authors: John Hemp

Bayesian probability, has a long history, but has developed into its most useful, contemporary form, thanks largely to the work of E. T. Jaynes (1922-1997). A brief account of Jaynes’s theory of probability is given in this book, and examples of its profitable use in theoretical physics are given. These include its use in statistical thermodynamics (to clarify, in particular, the meaning of thermodynamic entropy), and its use in the theory of Brownian motion (to derive the diffusion equation and the concepts of particle drift-velocity and probability flux). Also discussed is the way in which rational Bayesian probability theory eliminates the paradoxes that block the way toward a realist interpretation of quantum mechanics, and promises a more rational formulation of quantum mechanics involving complex-valued Bayesian probabilities.

Comments: 237 Pages.

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[v1] 2026-03-21 14:34:09

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