Paul Dirac
Predicted antimatter and formulated Dirac equation
Most quoted
"The underlying physical laws necessary for the mathematical theory of a large part of physics and the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and the difficulty is only that the exact application of these laws leads to equations much too complicated to be soluble. It is the purpose of theoretical physics to show that it is possible to derive, from these equations, the properties of the actual world."
— from Proceedings of the Royal Society, 1929
"The methods of progress in theoretical physics have undergone a vast change during the present century. The classical tradition has been to consider the world to be an association of observable objects (particles, fluids, fields, etc.) moving about according to definite laws of force, so that one could form a mental picture in space and time of the whole scheme."
— from Quantised Singularities in the Electromagnetic Field, 1931
"The most powerful method of advance that can be suggested at present is to employ all the resources of pure mathematics in attempts to perfect and generalise the mathematical formalism that forms the existing basis of theoretical physics, and after each success in this direction, to try to interpret the new mathematical features in terms of physical entities."
— from Quantised Singularities in the Electromagnetic Field, 1931
All quotes by Paul Dirac (692)
A good deal of my research in physics has consisted in not setting out to solve a particular problem but simply in trying to understand the equations of physics.
The method of advance in science is to make hypotheses and then to test them by experiment.
The most important thing for a physicist is to have a good mathematical intuition.
The new quantum mechanics, when applied to the problem of the structure of the atom with point-charge electrons, does not give results in agreement with experiment.
The problem of the electron is still an unsolved problem.
The question of the existence of magnetic monopoles is one which has interested physicists for a long time.
The theory of quantum mechanics is essentially a theory of probabilities.
The classical theory of electrodynamics is not consistent with the quantum theory of matter.
The development of quantum mechanics has led to a profound change in our understanding of the physical world.
The mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics are now well established.
The theory of relativity has shown us that space and time are not independent entities.
The general theory of relativity is a theory of gravitation.
The special theory of relativity is a theory of space and time.
The theory of quantum electrodynamics is a theory of the interaction of light and matter.
The theory of quantum field theory is a theory of elementary particles.
The concept of a quantum field is a fundamental concept in modern physics.
The vacuum is not empty; it is filled with virtual particles.
The existence of antimatter was predicted by the Dirac equation.
The positron was discovered in 1932, confirming the prediction of the Dirac equation.
The Dirac equation is one of the most beautiful equations in physics.
Contemporaries of Paul Dirac
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Paul Dirac (1902–1984).