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)
The laws of nature are not arbitrary, but are a consequence of a deeper mathematical structure.
The human experience is a journey of discovery.
The universe is a masterpiece, and we are its humble admirers.
The most profound insights come from unexpected places.
The laws of nature are a testament to the elegance of the universe.
I don't need to understand my equations, I just need to be able to use them.
It seems that if one is working on the fundamental laws of nature, one must try to make them beautiful.
The most powerful method of advance that can be used is to employ all the resources of pure mathematics in the elucidation of the physical laws.
The electron has a positive energy and a negative energy. The negative energy states are not observed. They must be filled up.
The question of the existence of magnetic monopoles is one which has been raised from time to time ever since Maxwell's equations were formulated.
The present quantum mechanics is based on the assumption that the states of a system are represented by vectors in a Hilbert space.
The problem of reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity is still unsolved.
The physicist's aim is to find the laws of nature, and to apply them to the understanding of phenomena.
The most important thing is to get the equations right.
The theory of quantum mechanics is essentially a non-relativistic theory.
One should not try to make a theory more general than it needs to be.
The object of science is to make the world intelligible.
The laws of nature should be expressed in beautiful equations.
The existence of a magnetic monopole would lead to a quantization of electric charge.
The mathematical theory of quantum mechanics is a very beautiful theory.
Contemporaries of Paul Dirac
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Paul Dirac (1902–1984).