Collected short fiction.., p.184
Collected Short Fiction of Greg Egan, page 184
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Lagrange and Hamilton extended this principle to the classical mechanics of material objects. If you define the Lagrangian, L, of a system to be its kinetic energy minus its potential energy, then for any possible motion of the system you can calculate a quantity called the action, S, by integrating (adding up) the value of the Lagrangian at successive moments. The actual motion always turns out to involve a stationary point of the action: on a graph it will always be the bottom of a valley, the top of a hill, a flat mountain pass, a plain.
Lagrange and Hamilton derived all their results from Newtonian mechanics, but with the advent of quantum mechanics the action principle made perfect sense. If matter is a wave too, it’s subject to the same effects as light. A matter wave can’t follow a perfectly narrow path, so it can only stay in phase by following a range of paths that involve more or less the same phase shift.
Applying this logic to the phase of a wave that satisfies Schrödinger’s equation leads back to the classical action, the integral of kinetic energy minus potential energy. Applying it to the phase of a wave that satisfies the Klein-Gordon equation leads to a relativistic action for a free particle that’s even simpler: S=mτ, the rest mass of the particle, m, multiplied by the proper time, τ, along its world line. That in turn explains the fact that particles travel along geodesics in spacetime — paths that involve a local maximum in proper time, just as geodesics in space involve a local minimum of distance. Because the “top of the mountain” is flat, geodesics offer wave packets their best opportunity for remaining in phase. The Earth orbits the sun because it’s following the world line through curved spacetime for which the wave packets of its individual atoms remain in phase.
That beautiful image serves as a reminder that a single set of physical principles must account for the behaviour of every kind of matter and energy, at every scale. But quantum mechanics has yet to be applied successfully, not merely to particles in curved spacetime, but to spacetime geometry itself. That’s going to be a task for the twenty-first century.
· · · · ·
Further reading: A good introductory textbook for readers with some background in classical physics is Quantum Mechanics by Leonard I. Schiff (McGraw-Hill, 1968). Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods by Asher Peres (Kluwer, 1993) provides a more modern treatment of “foundational” issues, as well as topics such as the interactions of quantum systems with measuring apparatus, and quantum chaos. QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard P. Feynman (Penguin, 1985) is a wonderfully lucid (and almost mathematics-free) account of the most advanced branch of quantum mechanics, quantum field theory.
Bibliography and Publication History
Novels
Collections
Stories
Interviews
Non-fiction
From the author's website — http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Bibliography.html#p45 (on December 11, 2014). PLEASE NOTE: Cross references and many links have been removed. Any remaining links in this Bibliography will take you ONLINE, NOT to another location in this book. The Bibliography in this book has been PARTIALLY updated (ie. new works added) as of April, 2021. PLEASE GO TO GREG EGAN'S WEBSITE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE BIBLIOGRAPHY!
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If you link to this page, please use this URL: http://www.gregegan.net/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Bibliography.html
Latest update [Wednesday, 19 November 2014]
Bibliography | eBooks | Works Online
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Novels
Note: Some third-party bibliographies have incorrectly described three of my novels as being part of “The Subjective Cosmology Cycle”. The description of these three books as belonging to a series is a misunderstanding; I've mentioned in interviews that they have some thematic similarities with each other that I noticed in retrospect, but they were certainly never conceived of, or published as, any kind of series.
Dichronauts excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), [and all other stores outside North America], Greg Egan, 2017.
iTunes Store (for UK), iTunes Store (for Australia), [and all other stores outside North America], Greg Egan, 2017.
Smashwords, [for readers outside North America], Greg Egan, 2017.
Kobo (for UK), Kobo (for Australia), [and all other stores outside North America], Greg Egan, 2017.
Night Shade Books, New York, 2017. ISBN 159780892X / ISBN13 978-1597808927 (hb)
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books, New York, 2017.
Orthogonal Book Three: The Arrows of Time excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2013.
Orion/Gollancz, London, 2013. ISBN 0575105763 / ISBN13 978-0575105768 (tpb) — 2014. ISBN 0575105771 / ISBN13 978-0575105775 (pb)
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books/Start, New York, 2014.
Night Shade Books, New York, 2014. ISBN 1597804878 / ISBN13 978-1597804875 (hb)
Orthogonal Book Two: The Eternal Flame Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2012. ISBN 159780293X / ISBN13 978-1597802932 (hb) — 2013. ISBN 1597802948 / ISBN13 978-1-59780-294-9 (tpb)
excerpt online at author's web site.
eBook, Baen Ebooks, 2012.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2012.
Orion/Gollancz, London, 2012. ISBN 0575105720 / ISBN13 978-0575105720 (tpb) — 2013. ISBN 0575105739 / ISBN13 978-0575105737 (pb)
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2012.
Orthogonal Book One: The Clockwork Rocket [r] Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2011. ISBN 1597802271 / ISBN13 978-1597802277 (hb) — 2012. ISBN 1597802921 / ISBN13 978-1-59780-292-5 (tpb)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2011.
eBook, Baen Ebooks, 2011.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2011.
Orion/Gollancz, London, 2011. ISBN 0575095113 / ISBN13 978-0575095113 (hb) ISBN 0575095121 / ISBN13 978-0575095120 (tpb) — 2012. ISBN 0575095148 / ISBN13 978-0575095144 (pb)
Zendegi excerpt online at author's web site.
Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010. ISBN 0575086173 / ISBN13 978-0575086173 (hb) ISBN 0575086181 / ISBN13 978-0575086180 (tpb) — 2011. ISBN13 978-0575086203 (pb)
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2010. ISBN 1597801747 / ISBN13 978-1597801744 (hb) — 2011. ISBN 1597801755 / ISBN13 978-1-59780-175-1 (tpb)
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2010.
eBook, Baen Ebooks, 2010.
Whole Story Audio Books / W F Howes Ltd, Leicester, 2010. Unabridged, 12 CDs, 13.5 hours. Narrated by Stan Pretty. ISBN13 978-1-40746-585-2
le Bélial', Saint-Mammès, 2012. Translated by Pierre-Paul Durastanti. ISBN 2843441102 / ISBN13 978-2843441103 — Livre de Poche, 2014. ISBN13 978-2-253-19508-5 (pb) (French translation) (French translation)
Bibliópolis, Madrid, 2012. Translated by Carlos Pavón. ISBN13 978-84-15157-08-3 (Spanish translation)
Incandescence Orion/Gollancz, London, 2008. ISBN 0575081627 / ISBN13 978-0575081628 (hb) ISBN 0575081635 / ISBN13 978-0575081635 (tpb) — 2009. ISBN13 978-0575081642 (pb)
Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2008. ISBN 1597801283 / ISBN13 978-1-59780-128-7 (hb) — 2009. ISBN 1597801291 / ISBN13 978-1-59780-129-4 (tpb)
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Night Shade Books, San Francisco, 2008.
eBook, Baen Ebooks, 2008.
excerpt online at author's web site.
Mondadori/Urania, Milan, 2010. Translated by Riccardo Valla. ISSN 1120-5288 / Number 1562 (The Urania SF line is published as a paperback periodical.) (Italian translation)
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2011.
Hayakawa, Tokyo, 2013. Translated by Makoto Yamagishi. ISBN13 978-4-15-335012-0 (Japanese translation)
Schild's Ladder Orion/Gollancz, London, 2002. ISBN 0-57507-068-4 (hb) ISBN 0-57507-123-0 (tpb) — 2003. ISBN 0-57507-391-8 (pb) — 2007. ISBN 0575081112 / ISBN13 978-0575081116 (pb, reissue) — 2008. ISBN 0575082062 / ISBN13 978-0575082069 (pb, reissue)
Harper/Eos, New York, 2002. ISBN 0-06105-093-8 (hb) — 2004. ISBN 0-06107-344-X (tpb) [Out of print]
La scala di Schild, Mondadori/Urania, Milan, 2004. Translated by Riccardo Valla. ISSN 1120-5288 / Number 1490 (The Urania SF line is published as a paperback periodical.) (Italian translation)
eBook, HarperCollins/PerfectBound, New York, 2004. ISBN 0-06079-169-1 (Palm Reader) ISBN 0-06079-171-3 (MobiPocket Reader) ISBN 0-06079-172-1 (Adobe Acrobat Reader) ISBN 0-06079-170-5 (Microsoft Reader) [Out of print]
Scara lui Schild, Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 2007. Translated by Mihai-Dan Pavelescu. ISBN13 978-973-143-088-1 (pb) (Romanian translation)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Teranesia Orion/Gollancz, London, 1999. ISBN 0-57506-854-X (hb) ISBN 0-57506-855-8 (tpb) — Orion/Millennium, 2000. ISBN 1-85798-864-7 (pb) — 2008. ISBN 0575083336 / ISBN13 978-0575083332 (pb, reissue)
HarperPrism, New York, 1999. ISBN 0-06105-092-X (hb) — Harper/Eos, 2000. ISBN 0-06105-980-3 (pb) [Out of print]
Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, 2001. Translated by Bernhard Kempen. ISBN 3-45317-927-7 (German translation)
Téranésie, Robert Laffont/Ailleurs et Demain, Paris, 2001. Translated by Pierre-Paul Durastanti. ISBN 2-22109-378-X (tpb) (French translation)
Fanucci Editore/Solaria, Rome, 2001. Translated by Roldano Romanelli. ISBN 8-83470-835-0 / Number 18 (The Solaria SF line was published bimonthly as a paperback periodical, ending in June 2002.) (Italian translation)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Teranezja, Solaris, Stawiguda, 2010. Translated by Konrad Kozlowski. ISBN13 978-83-7590-031-6 (Polish translation)
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Diaspora excerpt (“Orphanogenesis”) in Interzone #123, September 1997.
Orion/Millennium, London, 1997. ISBN 1-85798-438-2 (hb) ISBN 1-85798-439-0 (tpb) — 1998. ISBN 0-75280-925-3 (pb) — 2008. ISBN 0575082097 / ISBN13 978-0575082090 (pb, reissue)
HarperPrism, New York, 1998. ISBN 0-06105-281-7 (hb) — 1999. ISBN 0-06105-798-3 (pb) [Out of print]
Boukoumanis Editions, Athens, 1999. Translated by Christodoulos Litharis. (Greek translation)
Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, 2000. Translated by Bernhard Kempen. ISBN 3-45316-181-5 (German translation)
excerpt (“Orphanogenesis”) online at author's web site.
Mondadori/Urania, Milan, 2003. Translated by Riccardo Valla. ISSN 1120-5288 / Number 1460 (The Urania SF line is published as a paperback periodical.) (Italian translation)
Hayakawa, Tokyo, 2005. Translated by Makoto Yamagishi. ISBN 4-15011-531-1 (pb) (Japanese translation)
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Diaszpóra, Ad Astra, Budapest, 2013. Translated by Huszár András. ISBN 978-615-5529-23-7 (tpb) (Hungarian translation)
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013. Enhanced Multimedia Edition for iPad
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Distress Orion/Millennium, London, 1995. ISBN 1-85798-286-X (hb) ISBN 1-85798-285-1 (tpb) — 1996. ISBN 1-85799-484-1 (pb) — 2008. ISBN 0575081732 / ISBN13 978-0575081734 (pb, reissue)
HarperPrism, New York, 1997. ISBN 0-06105-264-7 (hb) — 1998. ISBN 0-06105-727-4 (pb) [Out of print]
Distres, Editura Teora, Bucharest, 1997. Translated by Mihai-Dan Pavelescu. ISBN 9-73601-576-9 (pb) (Romanian translation)
L'énigme de l'univers, Robert Laffont/Ailleurs et Demain, Paris, 1997. Translated by Bernard Sigaud. ISBN 2-22108-439-X (tpb) (French translation)
Am Oved, Tel Aviv, 1998. ISBN 9-65131-294-7 (pb) (Hebrew translation)
Qual, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, 1999. Translated by Bernhard Kempen. ISBN 3-45315-643-9 (German translation)
El Instante Aleph, Ediciones Gigamesh, Barcelona, 2000. Translated by Adela Ibáñez. ISBN 8-49306-637-0 (Spanish translation)
Mondadori/Urania, Milan, 2001. Translated by Riccardo Valla. ISSN 1120-5288 / Number 1437 (The Urania SF line is published as a paperback periodical.) (Italian translation)
Stan Wyczerpania, Zysk i S-ka, Poznan, 2003. Translated by Pawel Wieczorek. ISBN 8-37298-073-X (pb) (Polish translation)
Tokyo Sogensha, Tokyo, 2004. ISBN 4-48871-102-2 (pb) (Japanese translation)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Permutation City Orion/Millennium, London, 1994. ISBN 1-85798-174-X (hb) ISBN 1-85798-175-8 (tpb) — 1995. ISBN 1-85798-218-5 (pb) — 1998. ISBN 0-75281-649-7 (pb, reissue) — 2008. ISBN 0575082070 / ISBN13 978-0575082076 (pb, reissue)
CyberCity, Bastei Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach, 1995. Translated by Axel Merz and Jürgen Martin. ISBN 3-40424-200-9 (pb) (German translation)
HarperPrism, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-06105-481-X (pb) [Out of print; see reissue by Night Shade Books below.]
La cité des permutants, Robert Laffont/Ailleurs et Demain, Paris, 1996. Translated by Bernard Sigaud. ISBN 2-22108-177-3 (tpb) — 2000. ISBN 2-25307-224-9 (pb) (French translation)
Shake Edizioni, Milan, 1998. Translated by Giancarlo Carlotti. ISBN 8-88692-649-9 (Italian translation)
Ciudad permutación, Ediciones B, Barcelona, 1998. Translated by Pedro Jorge Romero. ISBN 8-44068-567-X — 2009. ISBN-13 9788498720853 (pb) (Spanish translation)
Hayakawa, Tokyo, 1999. Translated by Makoto Yamagishi. ISBN 4-15011-289-4, ISBN 4-15011-290-8 (pb, two volumes) (Japanese translation)
Mesto Permutací, Návrat, Brno, 2002. Translated by Petr Kotrle. ISBN 8-07174-502-2 (Czech translation)
Miasto Permutacji, Solaris, Stawiguda, 2007. Translated by Konrad Kozlowski. ISBN13 978-83-89951-46-5 (Polish translation)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Night Shade Books, New York, 2014. ISBN13 978-1597805391 (pb)
Quarantine Century/Legend, London, 1992. ISBN 0-71269-870-1 (hb) ISBN 0-71265-347-3 (tpb) — 1993. ISBN 0-09915-381-5 (pb) [Out of print; see reissue by Orion/Millennium below.]
Quarantäne, Bastei Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach, 1993. Translated by Jürgen Martin. ISBN 3-40424-174-6 (pb) (German translation)
HarperPrism, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-06105-423-2 (pb) [Out of print; see reissue by Night Shade Books below.]
La Terra Moltiplicata, Editrice Nord, Milan, 1995. Translated by Nicola Fantini. ISBN 8-84290-860-6 (tpb) — 1998. ISBN 8-84291-007-4 (pb) (Italian translation)
Carantina, Editura Teora, Bucharest, 1997. Translated by Mihai-Dan Pavelescu. ISBN 9-73601-466-3 (pb) (Romanian translation)
Cuarentena, Ediciones Gigamesh, Barcelona, 1999. Translated by Albert Solé. ISBN 8-49306-630-3 (Spanish translation)
Orion/Millennium, London, 1999. ISBN 1-85798-590-7 (pb, reissue) — 2008. ISBN 0575081724 / ISBN13 978-0575081727 (pb, reissue)
Tokyo Sogensha, Tokyo, 1999. ISBN 4-48871-101-4 (pb) (Japanese translation)
Karantin, AST, Moscow, 1999. Translated by L.I. Levkovitch-Maslyuk and E. V. Marinicheva. ISBN 5-15000-123-6 [Includes the short stories “Seeing”, “A Kidnapping”, “The Safe-Deposit Box” and “Unstable Orbits in the Space of Lies”.] (Russian translation)
Isolation, Denoël, Paris, 2000. Translated by Francis Lustman and Quarante-Deux. ISBN 2-207249-93-X (tpb) (French translation)
Karantén, Lap-ics Kft-Aquila Kiadó, Debrecen, 2000. Translated by József Békési. (Hungarian translation)
Karanténa, Návrat, Brno, 2002. Translated by Petr Kotrle. (Czech translation)
Ha'hesger, Keter Publishing, Jerusalem, 2002. Translated by Itamar Paran. (Hebrew translation)
Quarantine, Happyreading Books, Seoul, 2003. Translated by Kim Sanghoon. ISBN 89-89571-15-4 (tpb) (Korean translation)
Kwarantanna, Solaris, Warsaw, 2006. Translated by Konrad Kozlowski. ISBN 83-89951-45-2 (pb) (Polish translation)
Carantina, Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 2007. Translated by Mihai-Dan Pavelescu. ISBN13 978-973-569-957-4 (pb) (Romanian translation)
excerpt online at author's web site.
Amazon Kindle (for UK), Amazon Kindle (for Australia), Orion/Gollancz, London, 2010.
Amazon Kindle (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
iTunes Store (for USA), Greg Egan, 2013.
Night Shade Books, New York, 2014. ISBN13 978-1597805384 (pb)
An Unusual Angle Norstrilia Press, Melbourne, 1983. ISBN 0-90910-611-8 (hb) ISBN 0-90910-612-6 (tpb) [Out of print.]
excerpt in The Australian Teacher, November 1983.
