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Foundation of Quantum Field Theory

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Das Märchen vom Elfenbeinernen Turm

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics Monographs ((LNPMGR,volume 34))

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Abstract

P.A.M. Dirac’s scientific production in the years 1925–8, beginning with his work on “Fundamental equations of quantum mechanics” [6] from 7 November 1925, is hardly equalled in the history of modern physics. The development of quantum mechanics initiated by Heisenberg’s epoch-making paper “Über quantentheoretische Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen” [5] seems to be focused in his mind. Almost all important discoveries were made or independently also made by him. There are two notable exceptions, the discovery of the uncertainty relation by Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger’s discovery of wave mechanics. The first does not leave a mark in Dirac’s papers of this period, the second one is of decisive importance already in the masterpiece of 26 August 1926 “On the theory of quantum mechanics” [8].

Reprinted from “Aspects of Quantum Theory”, (ed. by A. Salam and E.P. Wigner, Cambridge University Press, 1972)

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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Theoretische Physik, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093, Zürich, Schweiz

    Klaus Hepp  & Walter Hunziker  & 

  2. Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Walter Kohn

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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(1995). Foundation of Quantum Field Theory. In: Hepp, K., Hunziker, W., Kohn, W. (eds) Das Märchen vom Elfenbeinernen Turm. Lecture Notes in Physics Monographs, vol 34. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-49276-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-49276-4_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-59476-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49276-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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