Questions tagged [theoretical-physics]
For questions regarding theories in the discipline of Physics
139 questions
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The first time the time-dependent Schrödinger equation was written
I am going through Erwin Schrödinger's original papers Quantisation as a Problem of Proper Values I.-IV. (QPPV) (albeit in English) and I am curious about when the actual date was the time-dependent ...
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Has physicist Yakir Aharonov ever accepted the Many Worlds interpretation as plausible or interesting throughout his career?
I am making a biography of well renowned physicists and their views in some of the problems in theoretical physics
Israeli physicist Yakir Aharonov is one of them and concerning the many worlds ...
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Pascual Jordan's paper on the "Fermi-Dirac" statistics
It is known that Pascual Jordan discovered what is now known as Fermi-Dirac statistics even before Fermi and Dirac. As Max Born said:$^1$
Ich hasse Jordans Politik, aber ich kann nie wieder gut ...
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Wave function irrealists
A useful distinction in wave function metaphysics in quantum theory is between the realist/irrealist (or equivalently, ontic/epistemic?) accounts. The irrealists (e.g. Heisenberg, later Schrödinger, ...
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Interpreting a physicist's comments on a rather philosophical position? [closed]
Some years ago I emailed a famous physicist (Steven Weinberg) who was sympathetic to Nozick's plenitude principle (which asserts that all logically possible universes exist) and I asked him whether he ...
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Why Einstein did not attempt to study $D<4$ gravity?
The last work of Einstein was summarised in "The meaning of relativity (1956 edition)" appendix 2 relativistic theory of the asymmetric field. Where from 1920-1955, he was pursuing unified ...
Nikaidou Shinku
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Reference request: Were GR and QM discovered too early? [closed]
I am looking for references concerning a statement about an apparent stagnation in theoretical high energy physics. I have heard and/or read the following idea a few times:
For a few centuries, ...
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Cases where a misunderstanding in mathematics led to misunderstanding of the physics?
Originally, I asked this question on Physics SE, but it was immediately suggested that I ask this question here. Quite soon afterwards, the question was closed on (see below).
Quite some time ago, ...
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How different is the electromagnetism taught to Engineers from the one taught to Physicists? [closed]
On average, of course. I have often seen the sentiment that engineering is somehow 'behind' physics in its understanding of electromagnetism.
This is not to mean that it is less right, rather that it ...
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Did John Wheeler retract himself on the participatory universe claims?
John Wheelers had a period where he made philosophical claims about metaphysics involving reality and consciousness.
I think he changed his mind on several of these topics through his life so I was ...
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What did Feynman mean when he said "Action" historically had a different meaning?
In his lecture on the principle of least action, Feynman says
Also, I should say that S is not really called the ‘action’ by the most precise and pedantic people. It is called ‘Hamilton’s first ...
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When was the pseudo-vector first defined?
In an answer to a question asked here on the history of vector notation, it's mentioned in an answer that W. Voigt in 1896 distinguished between "polar vectors" and axial vectors". ...
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Who is Rudolf Bach?
I've googled but have not found anything about mathematician Rudolf Bach. In Riemannian or semi-Riemannian geometry such as general relativity, Conformal geometry, Wave propagation theory such as ...
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What did Quine say on paradox and physics?
I remember that Willard van Orman Quine wrote something to the effect that physics may be paradoxical, in similar ways as naive set theory is paradoxical.
May someone help find the quote?
Edit 1 - A ...
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Onsager on phase transitions
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman has Feynman ascribing to Onsager the following quote (during the International Conference of Theoretical Physics in Kyoto, in 1953):
"We should tell Feynman ...
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