 Title page of the first edition | |
| Author | Paul Dirac |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Quantum mechanics |
| Genres | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 1930 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 257 |
The Principles of Quantum Mechanics is an influential monograph on quantum mechanics written by Paul Dirac and first published by Oxford University Press in 1930.[1] Dirac gives an account of quantum mechanics by "demonstrating how to construct a completely new theoretical framework from scratch"; "problems were tackled top-down, by working on the great principles, with the details left to look after themselves".[2] It leaves classical physics behind after the first chapter, presenting the subject with a logical structure. Its 82 sections contain 785 equations with no diagrams.[2]
Dirac is credited with developing the subject "particularly in Cambridge and Göttingen between 1925–1927" (Farmelo).[2] It is considered one of the most influential texts on quantum mechanics, with theoretical physicist Laurie M. Brown stating that it "set the stage, the tone, and much of the language of the quantum-mechanical revolution".[3]
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"Paul A.M. Dirac – Biography". The Nobel Prize in Physics 1933. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
Dirac's publications include ... The Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1930; 3rd ed. 1947).
- ^ a b c Farmelo, Graham (2 June 1995). "Speaking Volumes: The Principles of Quantum Mechanics" (Book review). Times Higher Education Supplement: 20. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Brown, Laurie M. (2006). "Paul A. M. Dirac's Principles of Quantum Mechanics" (PDF). Physics in Perspective. 8 (4): 381–407. doi:10.1007/s00016-006-0276-4. S2CID 120303937.