Paul Dirac
Paul Dirac
Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac OM FRSwas an English theoretical physicist who made fundamental contributions to the early development of both quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. He was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, a member of the Center for Theoretical Studies, University of Miami, and spent the last decade of his life at Florida State University...
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth8 August 1902
book math physics
A book on the new physics, if not purely descriptive of experimental work, must essentially be mathematical.
math practice data
The physicist, in his study of natural phenomena, has two methods of making progress: (1) the method of experiment and observation, and (2) the method of mathematical reasoning. The former is just the collection of selected data; the latter enables one to infer results about experiments that have not been performed. There is no logical reason why the second method should be possible at all, but one has found in practice that it does work and meets with reasonable success.
views mathematical-equations progress
It seems that if one is working from the point of view of getting beauty in one's equations, and if one has really a sound insight, one is on a sure line of progress
law mathematical-beauty mathematical
A physical law must possess mathematical beauty.
giving mathematics deals
A great deal of my work is just playing with equations and seeing what they give.
good-luck mathematical-equations interesting
A good deal of my research in physics has consisted in not setting out to solve some particular problem, but simply examining mathematical equations of a kind that physicists use and trying to fit them together in an interesting way, regardless of any application that the work may have. It is simply a search for pretty mathematics. It may turn out later to have an application. Then one has good luck. At age 78.
math limits fields
Mathematics is the tool specially suited for dealing with abstract concepts of any kind and there is no limit to its power in this field.
mathematical-equations important fit
It is more important to have beauty in one's equations than to have them fit experiment.
if-there-is-a-god mathematician ifs
If there is a God, he's a great mathematician.
order mathematics used
One could perhaps describe the situation by saying that God is a mathematician of a very high order, and He used very advanced mathematics in constructing the universe
bare cannot electron imagine piece since string theory
In such a theory a bare electron would be inconceivable, since one cannot imagine the end of a piece of string without having the string.
discrete electric field lines physical picture treated
The electric field in this picture from discrete Faraday lines of force, which are to be treated as physical things, like strings.
country different culture
It is quite clear that beauty does depend on one's culture and upbringing for certain kinds of beauty, pictures, literature, poetry and so on...But mathematical beauty is of a rather different kind. I should say perhaps it is of a completely different kind and transcends these personal factors. It is the same in all countries and at all periods of time.
chemistry physics mechanic
Quantum mechanics has explained all of chemistry and most of physics.