CERN Colloquium
Paul Dirac and the religion of mathematical beauty
by
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Europe/Zurich
500/1-001 - Main Auditorium (CERN)
Description
For Paul Dirac, the importance of mathematical beauty in the fundamental theoretical physics was ‘like a religion’. Although his great papers on quantum mechanics showed an acute aesthetic awareness, he first set out his principle of mathematical beauty only in 1939. Afterwards, he continually stressed the importance of mathematical beauty for mathematical physics. In this talk, I discuss the origins of Dirac’s aesthetic sensibility and looks at the successes and failures of his philosophy.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>Organised by
James GILLIES / DG-CO .........................................** Tea and Coffee will be served at 16:00