Dirac A Scientific Biography [Paperback]

The first full length biography of Dirac, one of the most brilliant physicists of the twentieth century.Paul Dirac was one of the most brilliant physicists of the twentieth century. Between 1925 and 1934 this Nobel Laureate revolutionized physics with his contributions to quantum theory. This biography offers an account of his life and presents his physics in a historical context, including known areas such as cosmology and classical electron theory.Paul Dirac was one of the most brilliant physicists of the twentieth century. Between 1925 and 1934 this Nobel Laureate revolutionized physics with his contributions to quantum theory. This biography offers an account of his life and presents his physics in a historical context, including known areas such as cosmology and classical electron theory.This first full-length biography of Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac offers a comprehensive account of his physics in its historical context, including less known areas such as cosmology and classical electron theory. It is based extensively on unpublished sources, including Dirac's correspondence with Bohr, Heisenberg, Pauli, Schrödinger, Gamow and others. Dirac was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant and influential physicists of the twentieth century. Between 1925 and 1934, the Nobel Prize laureate revolutionized physics with his brilliant contributions to quantum theory. This work examines Dirac's successes and failures, and pays particular attention to his opposition to modern quantum electrodynamics; an opposition based on aesthetic objections.Preface; 1. Early years; 2. Discovery of quantum mechanics; 3. Relativity and spinning electrons; 4. Travels and thinking; 5. The dream of philosophers; 6. Quanta and fields; 7. Fifty years of a physicist's life; 8. 'The so-called quantum electrodynamics'; 9. Electrons and ether; 10. Just a disappointment; 11. Adventures in cosmology; 12. The purest soul; 13. Philosophy in physics; 14. The principle of mathematical beauty; Apl30