The EPR Paradox of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of Four Unpublished Letters between A. Einstein and the Mathematician J. L. B. Cooper

TL;DR

This paper uncovers new insights into the EPR paradox by analyzing previously unpublished correspondence between Einstein and J. L. B. Cooper, highlighting differing perspectives and complex mathematical considerations.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of four unpublished letters, shedding light on Einstein's and Cooper's differing views on the EPR paradox and its mathematical foundations.

Findings

Unpublished letters reveal Einstein's nuanced views on the EPR paradox.

Differences in perspectives highlight complex mathematical and physical considerations.

Analysis clarifies historical and conceptual misunderstandings about the EPR paradox.

Abstract

This paper presents correspondence between Albert Einstein and the mathematical analyst J. L. B. Cooper on the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox of quantum theory published in 1935. Two letters written by Cooper, and the replies from Einstein, all written between October and December 1949, are retyped from the original ones. Furthermore, Einstein's second letter, which he wrote in German, is translated into English. The lack of agreement, arising from very different points of view, is analysed, taking into account the complex underlying mathematical and physical factors that arise naturally in connection with the EPR paradox.