E-Book Overview
This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, Universite de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.
E-Book Content
Surprises in Theoretical Physics ,,.. I
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Rudolf Peierls
Princeton Series• in Physics,
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$3.95
Princeton Series ;n Physics EDITED BY ARTHUR S. WIGHTMAN AND PHILIP W. ANDERSON
Surprises in Theoretical Physics by Rudolf
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P~ierfs
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Problems in theoretical physics often lead 10 paradoxical answers; yet closer reasoning and a more complete analysis im'ariably lead to Ihe resolution of the parndox and to a deeper understanding of the physics involved. Drawing primaril)' from his own experience and that of his collaborators, Sir Rudolf Peierls selects examples of such "surprises" from a wide range of physical theory, from quantum mechanical sC3ucring theory to the theory of relativity, frolll irreversibility in statistical mechanics 10 ttlC bchnvjor of electrons in solids. By studying such surprises nnd learning what kind of possibilities to look for, he suggests, scientists may be able to avoid errors in future problems. In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what ph)'sical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises dis('usscd have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle. This book is based on the author's lectures