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The development of a consistent picture for the processes of decoherence and quantum measurement requires a treatment which is compatible with the theory of relativity. This volume reviews some of the approaches suggested to solve or circumvent the arising difficulties. Starting from an analysis of the level of compatibility of the measurement problem with the special theory of relativity, the role of non-locality and entanglement are discussed. The subject is also addressed from the point of view of quantum optics and quantum information theory, as well as on the basis of group theoretic and algebraic methods. The emergence of decoherence in quantum electrodynamics is discussed from an open systems perspective.
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Preface
The development of a consistent picture of the processes of decoherence and quantum measurement is among the most interesting fundamental problems with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of the physical world. A satisfactory solution of this problem requires a treatment which is compatible with the theory of relativity, and many diverse approaches to solve or circumvent the arising difficulties have been suggested. This volume collects the contributions of a workshop on Relativistic Quantum Measurement and Decoherence held at the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici in Naples, April 9-10, 1999. The workshop was intended to continue a previous meeting entitled Open Systems and Measurement in Relativistic Quantum Theory, the talks of which are also published in the Lecture Notes in Physics Series (Vol. 526). The different attitudes and concepts used to approach the decoherence and quantum measurement problem led to lively discussions during the workshop and are reflected in the diversity of the contributions. In the first article the measurement problem is introduced and the various levels of compatibility with special rela