The study of microprocesses has brought to light previously unknown features of physical experimentation which are of considerable philosophical significance. The revision of ideas resulting from the penetration into the world of elementary particles has also raised the problem of the role of visualization and models in the cognition of deep levels of reality. Refinement of the methods of theoretical physics in the course of research into microprocesses has led to the discovery of an unexpected correlation between the theory of elementary particles and information theory.The discovery of a connecting link between these two theories makes it possible to draw important gnoseological conclusions concerning the role of abstract mathematical concepts in the cognition of deep levels of structure of matter. Such are the problems discussed in the present book, which is the fruit of joint efforts of philosophers and physicists. Use is made of the material of the Theoretical Conference on Philosophical Problems of ElementaryParticle Physics held by the Scientific Council on Philosophical Problems of Natural Science in April 1962.The authors and editors are keenly aware of the controversial nature of some of the views expressed in this book. This is indeed understandable: the development of the fundamental problems of elementary particle physics is very far from complete, and therefore many of the statements are inevitably of a highly tentative nature. But it is precisely in order to help this branch of science make further progress that a wide exchange of views on the philosophical problems of elementary particle physics is necessary.The papers collected in this book differ to some extent in type of exposition, reflecting the stylistic peculiarities of each author. The editors thought it unnecessary to eradicate these peculiarities. The fact that this book is the first of its kind in the literature explains, to some extent, its inherent defects.Although the book treats very difficult problems, the authors and editors have taken pains to ensure that its content be accessible to a wide circle of readers. They hope that this effort has not been unsuccessful and that the book will attract the attention of all those who are interested in the progress of modern science and in the philosophical problems with which it is faced.The book was translated from the Russian by A. Sen and R. N. Sen. and was published by Israel Programme for Scientific Translations in 1965. ContentsFOREWORDPART 1 GENERAL PROBLEMSTHE CORRELATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL THEORIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ELEMENTARY PARTICLE PHYSICS I. V. KuznetsovCERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLE THEORY V. B. BerestetskiiCERTAIN FEATURES SPECIFIC TO THE QUANTUM THEORY OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES V. Ya. FainbergTHE PROBLEMS OF MODERN ASTRONOMY AND PHYSICS OF THE MICRO WORLD V. A. AmbartsumyanPART 2 STRUCTUREPROBLEMS OF THE STRUCTURE OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES D. I. BlokhintsevTHE PROBLEM OF THE ELEMENTARITY OF PARTICLES IN QUANTUM PHYSICS M. E. Omel'yanovskiiCONSERVATION PRINCIPLES AND THE PROBLEM OF THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER N. F. OvchinnikovTHE PROBLEM OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES Ya. P. TerletskiiA CRITERION OF RELATIVE ELEMENTARITY B. Ya. PakhomovPART 3 SPACE AND TIMEA PHILOSOPHICAL EVALUATION OF MODERN IDEAS CONCERNING THE PROPERTIES OF SPACE AND TIME IN THE MICROWORLD S. T. MelyukhinSPACE-TIME QUANTIZATION IN ELEMENTARY PARTICLES THEORY I. S. ShapiroTHE PROBLEM OF SPACE AND TIME IN ELEMENTARY PARTICLE PHYSICS R. A. AronovPART 4 CAUSALITY AND REGULARITYQUANTUM PHYSICS AND THE TRANSMUTABILITY OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES M. E. Omel'yanovskiiTHE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AS COGNITION OF INCREASINGLY PROFOUND REGULARITIES OF THE MICROWORLD A. A. SokolovAN EVALUATION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF STATISTICAL REGULARITIES IN ELEMENTARY PARTICLE PHYSICS Yu. V. SachkovCAUSALITY AND DETERMINISM IN QUANTUM THEORY G. A. SvechnikovTHE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF A JOINT COORDINATE-MOMENTUM REPRESENTATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS A.A. TyapkinPART 5 SOME METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMSTHEORY AND EXPERIMENT INMICROWORLD PHYSICS G.B. ZhdanovVISUALIZABILITY AND MODELS IN THE THEORY OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES I.B. NovikTHE THEORY OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND INFORMATION THEORY I. A. AkchurinAPPENDIXTHEORETICAL CONFERENCE ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLE PHYSICS V.I. SkurlatovEXPLANATORY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS OF U.S.S.R. INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS APPEARING IN THIS TEXT