Path Integrals for (Complex) Classical and Quantum Mechanics

An analysis of classical mechanics in a complex extension of phase space shows that a particle in such a space can behave in a way redolant of quantum mechanics; additional degrees of freedom permit 'tunnelling' without recourse to instantons and lead to time/energy uncertainty. In practice, 'classical' particle trajectories with additional degrees of freedom have arisen in several different formulations of quantum mechanics. In this talk we compare the extended phase space of the closed time-path formalism with that of complex classical mechanics, to suggest that $\hbar$ has a role in our understanding of the latter. However, differences in the way that trajectories are used make a deeper comparison problematical. We conclude with some thoughts on quantisation as dimensional reduction.Comment: 13 pages: Published in the Proceedings of AAMP 7, (Prague) 2011. This file differs from the published version by the inclusion of extra references, with minor changes of text (which leave conclusions unaltered

The Y Factor

In my last column, I discussed the issue of faculty status, trying to analyze why librarians have failed to achieve their most desired target -- academic respectability. I concluded that faculty culture does not accept librarians as equals. Yes, librarians may be useful -- they may eve be expert in what they do -- but they are different. Faculty may be ready to grant librarians something, but it is not equal status. Maybe it is time to examine the need for status that librarians exhibit

Never On A Sunday: The Sabbath And The Christian Academic Library - Part 1

The article will appear in two parts. Part One examines the biblical basis for the positions taken and makes a general application. Part Two, in the next issue, will look at the application of Scripture to the world of Christian higher education and its libraries

The Nine Commandments

Recently, I found a file of old letters in the attic. Gently opening the folder, I noticed one unusual manuscript among the yellowing documents. It looked new, even though I was confident that this file had not been touched for decades. What was this letter, and why was it in such pristine condition? Curiosity got the best of me, and taking the paper in my hand, I began to read: My Dear Bookworm, You know how Our Father Below successfully tempted Eve in the Garden many years ago. Our Father appealed to the creature’s pride by convincing her that through exercising her freedom of choice she would become as wise as the Enemy. The Enemy was not surprised by this turn of events. When He created Adam and Eve, the Enemy knew that this danger existed – that the freedom He had given to his creatures might be used against Him – but He thought the risk worth taking. He lost the bet

Values: A Christian Perspective, A Response To Michael Gorman

Michael Gorman\u27s recent challenge to Christian librarians at the ACL annual conference in San Diego begs for a response. What was the nature of that challenge? It was that we, as Christian librarians, should share values that can be derived completely from a humanistic perspective. It would be surprising if a humanistic perspective could successfully articulate Christian values, and in this case, there is no surprise