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Collapse of Wave Function

In John von Neumann's 1932 treatise on quantum mechanics, Mathematische Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik, he described two processes by which the wave portion of wave-particle duality in quantum systems evolve into the classical states we observe. The first is probablistic, and seems to be brought about by observation and measurement, leading to what is known as the "measurement problem" in quantum mechanics.

Collapse of the wave function is an attempt to resolve the measurement problem by accepting that the act of measurement itself determines the state of the system as it is measured. Interpretations that presume actual collapse of superpositional wave function probabilities include the Copenhagen Interpretation, some versions of consistent histories and interpretations that postulate consciousness (intent of the physicist when deciding on a measurement or perception of the observer) as determining the final system state upon measurement.

Web Resources On Collapse of Wave Function

A Laxy Layman's Guide to Quantum Physics
Wikipedia: Wavefunction collapse

Book Resources On Collapse of Wave Function

Physical Principles of the Quantum Theory by Werner Heisenberg
Quantum Mechanics by Albert Messiah

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