The Genesis of Dirac's Relativistic Theory of Electrons
HELGE KRAGH
Communicated by OLAF PEDERSEN & B.L.VAN DER WAERDEN
Contents
1. Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, 1926 ................... 32
2. P.A.M. Dirac: Methodology and Cultural Background ............ 38
3. Relativity in Dirac's Earlier Works .................... 40
4. Spin and Quantum Mechanics ...................... 44
5. Towards a Relativistic Theory ...................... 48
6. The Genesis of the Theory ........................ 53
7. Factors Determining Dirac's Procedure .................. 62
8. Aftermath ............................... 65
PAUL DIRAC's relativistic quantum mechanics for electrons, published early in 1928, is one of the great landmarks in the history of science. According to NORWOOD RUSSELL HANSON, it has few predecessors in greatness: "Theoretical physics has rarely witnessed such a powerful unification of concepts, data, theories and intuitions: Newton and Universal Gravitation; Maxwell and Electrodynamics; Einstein and Special Relativity; Bohr and the hydrogen atom; these are the high spots before Dirac. From a chaos of apparently unrelated facts and ideas, Newton in his way, and now Dirac in his, built a logically powerful and conceptually beautiful physical theory..."
To continue reading the article click on the link below:
http://faculty.poly.edu/~jbain/histlight/readings/81Kragh.pdf
Communicated by OLAF PEDERSEN & B.L.VAN DER WAERDEN
Contents
1. Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, 1926 ................... 32
2. P.A.M. Dirac: Methodology and Cultural Background ............ 38
3. Relativity in Dirac's Earlier Works .................... 40
4. Spin and Quantum Mechanics ...................... 44
5. Towards a Relativistic Theory ...................... 48
6. The Genesis of the Theory ........................ 53
7. Factors Determining Dirac's Procedure .................. 62
8. Aftermath ............................... 65
PAUL DIRAC's relativistic quantum mechanics for electrons, published early in 1928, is one of the great landmarks in the history of science. According to NORWOOD RUSSELL HANSON, it has few predecessors in greatness: "Theoretical physics has rarely witnessed such a powerful unification of concepts, data, theories and intuitions: Newton and Universal Gravitation; Maxwell and Electrodynamics; Einstein and Special Relativity; Bohr and the hydrogen atom; these are the high spots before Dirac. From a chaos of apparently unrelated facts and ideas, Newton in his way, and now Dirac in his, built a logically powerful and conceptually beautiful physical theory..."
To continue reading the article click on the link below:
http://faculty.poly.edu/~jbain/histlight/readings/81Kragh.pdf
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