It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Professor Itamar Pitowsky on Wednesday February 10th, 2010.

His friends may write words of appreciation here.



Address:
The program for the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science, The Hebrew University, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.
Telephone:
(02) 5883748, 6585652.
E-mail:
itamarp@vms.huji.ac.il
Date and place of birth:
April 12, 1950, Jerusalem, Israel.
Marital Status:
Married with two children.
Post-secondary education:


Positions

Academic Positions:

  1. Post-doctoral fellow, Philosophy of Science, The University of Western Ontario, spring and summer terms 1983.

  2. Assistant Professor, Philosophy, Brown University, 1984-1985.
  3. Lecturer, Philosophy of Science, The Hebrew University, 1985-1987.
  4. Senior Lecturer, Philosophy of Science, The Hebrew University, 1988.
  5. Associate Professor, Philosophy of Science, The Hebrew University, 1989-1997.
  6. Full Professor, Philosophy of Science, The Hebrew University, since 1997.
  7. Eleanor Roosevelt Chair (Philosophy of Science), The Hebrew University, since 1997.
  8. Visiting Fellow, Wolfson College, The University of Cambridge, England, Michael mass Term 1989-1990, and Easter Term 1995.Oxford University, Easter 2001.
  9. Visitor, Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics 2003, 2006.
  10. Honorary Visiting Professor, Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, 1990-2006.
  11. Member, The Centre for Rationality and Interactive Decision Theory, The Hebrew University, since 1990.
  12. Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University, Spring Term 1994.

Academic Administrative Positions:


  1. Director, Sidney M. Edelstein Center for the History Philosophy and Sociology of Science Technology and Medicine, 1986-1994, and again 2003-2007.
  2. Advisory Board of the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein (Princeton University Press), 1987-2005.
  3. Chair, Program for the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science 1992-1993, Fall Term 1995-96, and 1998-2000.
  4. Editorial Board of Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 1995-99 and, again, July 2001-present.
  5. Editorial Board of International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, since 1996-2001.
  6. Editorial Board WOS - The University of Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, D. Reidel Publishing Company (now Springer), Since 1997.
  7. Editorial Board of Philosophy of Science, 1999-present.
  8. Executive Committee of the Hebrew University (Senate representative) 1998-2002.
  9. Chair, Academic Committee, Department of Cognitive Studies, 1999-2001, member 2002-2004, chair again since 2005.
  10. Chair of Tenure Committee (Humanities, Social Sciences and Law) 2000/01.


Grants, Fellowships etc.


  1. Canadian Government grants in the humanities and natural sciences (with J.Bub) 1983.
  2. Alon Grant of the Committee for Higher Education, 1985-1988.
  3. Israel Ministry of Immigration Grant, 1985.
  4. National Academy of Science and Humanities Grant (with E.Jablonka) 1991.
  5. Hebrew University Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship, 1994.
  6. Israel Science Foundation, 1999 - 2002 (3 years, grant number 787/99)
  7. Israel science Foundation, 2002-2006 (4 years, grant number 879/02)
  8. Israel science Foundation, 2007-2010 (3 years, grant number 744/07)


Publications

Doctoral Dissertation:


The Logic of Fundamental Processes, Non Measurable Sets and Quantum Mechanics. Supervisor: J. Bub, The University of Western Ontario, 1983.

Books:

Quantum Probability, Quantum Logic, Lecture Notes in Physics 321, Heidelberg, Springer, 1989.

W. Demopoulos, I. Pitowsky (eds.) Physical Theory and Its Interpretation: Essays in Honor of Jeffrey Bub, The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, Dordrecht, Springer, 2006.

Articles:

  1. "Resolution of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and Bell Paradoxes", Physical Review Letters 48, 1299-1302 (1982). [PDF]
  2. "Answers to Comments on ‘Resolution of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and Bell Paradoxes’", Physical Review Letters 49, 1216 (1982).
  3. "Substitution and Truth in Quantum Logic", Philosophy of Science 49, 380-401 (1982).
  4. "Deterministic Model of Spin and Statistics", Physical Review D27, 2316-2326 (1983). [PDF]
  5. "Where the Theory of Probability Fails", Proceedings of the 1982 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, Volume two, P.E.Asquith and T.Nickels editors, East Lansing, Philosophy of Science Association.
  6. "Unified Field Theory and the Conventionality of Geometry", Philosophy of Science 51, 685-689 (1984). [PDF]
  7. "Quantum Mechanics and Value Definiteness",Philosophy of Science 52, 154-156 (1985). [PDF]
  8. "On the Status of Statistical Inferences", Synthese 63, 233-247 (1985).
  9. (With J. Bub) "Critical Notice on Popper’s Postscript to the ‘Logic of Scientific Discovery’", Canadian Journal of Philosophy 15, 539-552 (1986).
  10. "A Phase Space Model of Quantum Mechanics in which All Operator Commute", in Fundamental Questions in Quantum Mechanics, 241-252, L.M.Roth and A.Inomata (eds.), New York, Gordon and Breeach Scientific Publishers (1986).
  11. "The Range of Quantum Probability", Journal of Mathematical Physics 27,1556-1565,(1986). [PDF]
  12. "Quantum Logic and the Conspiracy of Nature", Iyun 36, 203-234 (1987) [in Hebrew]
  13. "From George Boole to John Bell: The Origins of Bell’s Inequalities", in Bell’s Theorem, Quantum theory and Conceptions of the Universe, 37-49, M.Kafatos (ed.), Dordrecht, Kluwer (1989).
  14. "The Physical Church’s Thesis and Physical Computational Complexity", Iyun 39, 81-99 (1990) [in English]. [PDF]
  15. "Correlation Polytopes: Their Geometry and Complexity", Mathematical Programming A50, 395-414 (1991). [PDF]
  16. "Bohm’s Quantum Potential and Quantum Gravity", Foundations of Physics 21, 343-352 (1991).
  17. "The Relativity of Quantum Predictions", Physics Letters A 156, 137-139 (1991).
  18. "Response to Comments on ‘The Relativity of Quantum Predictions’", Physics Letters A 166, 292 (1992).
  19. (With R.K.Clifton and C.Pagonis) "Relativity, Quantum Mechanics and EPR", Proceedings of the 1992 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association volume 1, 114-128, K. Okruhlik (ed.) East Lansing, Philosophy of Science Association (1992). [PDF]
  20. Comment on "Why Does Physics Need Mathematics" by J. M. Levi-Leblond The Scientific Enterprise: Israel Colloquium for the Philosophy of Science 4th Annual Series, 163-167, E. Ullman-Margalit (ed.) Dordrecht, Kluwer (1992).
  21. "Philosophy of science and The Origins of Values in Leibowitz", Iyun 42, 541-550 (1993). [in Hebrew]
  22. "Reichenbach on Quantum Mechanics", Logic, Language, and the Structure of Scientific Theories -- Proceedings of the Crnap-Reichenbach Centennial, 195-210 W. Salmon and G. Wolters (eds.) Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press (1994).
  23. "George Boole's 'Conditions of Possible Experience' and the Quantum Puzzle", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 45, 95-125 (1994). [PDF]
  24. "Royer’s Measurements: The Rise and Fall of (Yet Another) Signalling Scheme", in R. Clifton (ed.) Perspectives on Quantum Reality: Non Relativistic, Relativistic and Field 73-79, Dordrecht, Kluwer (1996)
  25. "Laplace’s Demon Consults an Oracle: The Computational Complexity of Predictions", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 27, 161-180. (1996) [PDF]
  26. (With N. Shoresh) "Locality, Factorizability and The Maxwell Boltzmann Distribution", Foundations of Physics 26, 1231-1242 (1996).
  27. "Infinite and Finite Gleason’s Theorems and the Logic of Indeterminacy", Journal of Mathematical Physics 39, 218-228 (1998). [PDF]
  28. "Constructive Quantum Mechanics, Gleason’s Theorem and the Indeterminacy Relations", Tatra Mountains Mathematical Publications 15, 1- 10 (1998).
  29. "Feasible Histories, Maximum Entropy and a MinMax Choice Criterion", Physics Letters A 247, 9-13 (1998). [PDF]
  30. "The Limits of Computability and the Limits of Formalization", Iyun 48, 209-229 (1999). [Hebrew] [PDF]
  31. (With Karl Svozil) "New Optimal Tests of Quantum Nonlocality", Physical Review A64, 4102-4106 (2001). [PDF]
  32. "Local Fluctuations and Local Observers in Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 32, 595-607 (2001). [PDF]
  33. (With Yemima Ben-Menahem) "Introduction to Special Issue: The Conceptual Foundations of Statistical Physics", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 32, 503-510 (2001). [PDF]
  34. "Range Theorems for Quantum Probability and Entanglement", in Khrennikov, A. (editor) Quantum Theory:Reconsideration of Foundations, 299-308 Vaxjo, Vaxjo University press (2002). [PDF]
  35. "Quantum Speed-Up of Computations", Philosophy of Science 69, S168-S177 (2002). [PDF]
  36. (With Oron Shagrir) "The Church-Turing Thesis and Hyper Computation", Minds and Machines 13, 87-101 (2003). [PDF]
  37. (With Meir Hemmo) "Probability and Non-Locality in Many Minds Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 54 225-243 (2003). [PDF]
  38. "Betting on the Outcomes of Measurements: A Bayesian Theory of Quantum Probability", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34, 395-414 (2003). [PDF]
  39. (With Ehud Hrushovski) "Generalizations of Kochen and Specker’s Theorem and the Effectiveness of Gleason’s Theorem", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 35, 177-194 (2004). [PDF]
  40. "Macroscopic Objects in Quantum Mechanics -- A Combinatorial Approach", Physical review A 70, 022103-1-6 (2004). [PDF]
  41. "Addendum to the Second Hebrew Edition of T. S. Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" (Translated and edited by Y. Melzer, Tel-Aviv, Books in the Attic, 2005). [PDF]
  42. "Quantum Mechanics as a Theory of Probability" in W. Demopoulos and I. Pitowsky (eds.), Physical Theory and Its Interpretation: Essays in Honor of Jeffrey Bub, The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, Dordrecht, Springer, 213-239, 2006). [PDF]
  43. "On the Definition of Equilibrium", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 37, 431-438 (2006). [PDF]
  44. (With S. Dolev and B. Tamir )"Grover's Quantum Search Algorithm and Diophantine Approximation" Physical Review A 73, 022308-1-4 (2006). Also appears with a different title here. [PDF]
  45. (With M. Hemmo) "Quantum Probability and Many Worlds", Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38, 333-350 (2007). [PDF]
  46. "On Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Discovery'", Iyun 56, 119-134 (2007). [An English adaptation of paper 41]. [PDF]
  47. "From Logic to Physics: How the Meaning of Computation Changed Over Time", in S. B. Cooper, B. Löwe, and A. Sorbi (eds.), Computation and Logic in the Real World, Proceedings of the Third Conference on Computability in Europe, CiE 2007, Siena, Italy, June 18-23, 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 4497, 621-631. [PDF]
  48. "New Bell Inequalities for the Singlet State: Going beyond the Grothendieck Bound", Journal of Mathematical Physics 49, 12101-1-11 (2008). [PDF]
  49. (With J. Bub) "Two Dogmas About Quantum Mechanics", in S. Saunders, J. Barrett, A. Kent, D. Wallace (eds.) Everett @ 50, Proceedings of the conferences held in Oxford and the Perimeter Institute, Oxford University Press, Forthcoming 2009. [PDF]
  50. "Geometry of Quantum Correlations", Physical Review A 77, 062109-1-5 (2008). [PDF]
  51. Tomer Fekete, Itamar Pitowsky, Amiram Grinvald, David B. Omer, "Arousal increases the representational capacity of cortical tissue" Journal of Computational Neuroscience Mar 27, 2009.
  52. "De Finetti extensions, quantum probability and Gleason's theorem", in C. Beisbart and S. Hartman (eds.) Probability is Physics, Oxford University Press , (Forthcoming 2009).
  53. (With Piotr Badziag, Ingemar Bengtsson, Adan Cabello) "State-independent violation of correlation inequalities for non-contextual theories", Physical Review Letters 103, 050401 (2009). [PDF]

Discussion Papers:

  1. “On the Concept of Proof in Modern Mathematics”, Discussion Paper #42, Center for Rationality and Interactive Decision Theory, The Hebrew University (1994).
  2. “Correlation Polytopes and the Geometry of Limit Laws in Probability”, Discussion Paper #146 , Center for Rationality and Interactive Decision Theory, The Hebrew University (1997). [PS]
  3. “Betting on the Outcomes of Measurements: A Bayesian Theory of Quantum Probability” Discussion Paper #304, Center for Rationality and Interactive Decision Theory, The Hebrew University (2002). An expanded version of 38.

Selected Recent Lectures:

  1. University of Oxford, Philosophy of physics research seminar (2002).
  2. University of Oxford, Quantum computation group (2002).
  3. University of Toronto, Quantum computation group (2002).
  4. American Institute of Physics, College Park, Robert Clifton memorial conference (2003).
  5. Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Canada (2003, 2006).
  6. Technion, Haifa, Asher Peres 70th birthday (2004).
  7. Seven Pines Symposium, Outing Lodge, Stillwater MN (May 2004). See the report in Science.
  8. Green College Lecture, Pacific Institute of Theoretical Physics, UBC Vancouver, Canada (October 2004, see slides and video here).
  9. Symposium "Arrows of Time", Outing Lodge, Stillwater MN (December 2004, paper 43).
  10. Three lectures on quantum logic and probability, Stanford University (January -February 2005, paper 42).
  11. Symposium Albert Einstein Legacy-A One Hundred Years Perspective, Israel Academy of Sciences (April 2005, see , announcement and slides).
  12. Everett@50, Oxford, 2007 (paper 49).
  13. Analysis and Interpretation in the Exact Sciences. A Workshop in Honor of William Demopoulos, 2008.
  14. The Probable and the Improbable: The Meaning and Role of Probability in Physics. The Twenty-Second Annual International Workshop on the History and Philosophy of Science, 2008.


Academic Genealogy and the Arrow of Time

As you go backwards in your family tree the number of ancestors grows exponentially with the number of generations, which means that it is practically impossible to list all of them. The solution is easy enough: From the large number of ancestors you choose one with some distinction. Then you list the people in the branch leading from this person to you while ignoring the rest. The rest include a multitude of anonymous people, a few crooks, and perhaps some outright criminals. (If you go back far enough you are likely to find them). This is how your YICHUS is manufactured.
Academic Genealogy, on the other hand, consists of a single branch, or at most a few. You simply list your PhD supervisor, then his/her PhD supervisor, and so on. It turns out that there is a web site devoted to the academic genealogy of mathematicians from which some of the information below is taken, and can be continued further down the generations to the 17th century. So here is a part of it:

1. Jeffrey Bub, PhD from London University 1966.



BUB

2. David Bohm, PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, 1943.



bohm

3. J. Robert Oppenheimer, PhD from the University of Göttingen, 1927.



oppenheimer



5. Max Born, PhD from the University of Göttingen, 1907.

born



6. Carl Runge, PhD from the University of Berlin, 1880.



runge



7a. Supervisor #1: Ernst Eduard Kummer, Ph.D. from Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 1831.



kummer


7b. Supervisor #2: Karl Theodor Wilhelm Weierstrass, PhD the University of Königsberg, 1854.



WEIERSTRASS

And so on….
Going forward in time changes one's perspective completely. The great Weierstrass has tens of thousands of academic descendants, so academic genealogy is not a very big deal either. However, academic trees, unlike family trees, grow at different rates backwards and forwards. As more PhDs graduate the entropy increases.