Richard p feynman biography

American theoretical physicist (–)

"Feynman" redirects here. For other uses, see Feynman (disambiguation).

Richard Phillips Feynman (; May 11, – February 15, ) was an American theoretical physicist. He is best known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and in particle physics, for which he proposed the parton model. For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman received the Nobel Prize in Physics in jointly with Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga.

Feynman developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions describing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime, Feynman became one of the best-known scientists in the world. In a poll of leading physicists worldwide by the British journal Physics World, he was ranked the seventh-greatest physicist of all time.

He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II and became known to the wider public in the s as a member of the Rogers Commission, the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Along with his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with having pioneered the field of quantum computing and introducing the concept of nanotechnology. He held the Richard C. Tolmanprofessorship in theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology.

Feynman was a keen popularizer of physics through both books and lectures, including a talk on top-down nanotechnology called There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom and the three-volume publication of his undergraduate lectures, The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Feynman also became known through his autobiographical books Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, and bo

Richard P. Feynman was born in Queens, New York, on May 11, , to Jewish (although non-practicing) parents. By age 15, he had mastered differential and integral calculus, and frequently experimented and re-created mathematical topics such as the half-derivative before even entering college. Feynman received a bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in , and was named Putnam Fellow that same year. He received a Ph.D. from Princeton University in , and in his theses applied the principle of stationery action to problems of quantum mechanics, laying the groundwork for the "path integral" approach and Feynman diagrams.

While researching his Ph.D., Feynman married his first wife and longtime sweetheart, Arline Greenbaum, who was already quite ill with tuberculosis. At Princeton, Robert W. Wilson encouraged Feynman to participate in the Manhattan Project. He did so, visiting his wife in a sanitarium in Albuquerque on weekends until her death in July He then immersed himself in work on the project and was present at the Trinity bomb test.

Hans Bethe made the 24 year old Feynman a group leader in the theoretical division. Although his work on the project was relatively removed from the major action, Feynman did calculate neutron equations for the Los Alamos "Water Boiler," a small nuclear reactor at the desert lab, in order to measure how close a particular assembly of fissile material was to becoming critical. After this work, he was transferred to the Oak Ridge facility, where he aided engineers in calculating safety procedures for material storage so that inadvertent criticality accidents could be avoided.

After the project, Feynman started working as a professor at Cornell University, and then moved to Cal Tech in Pasadena, Calif., where he did much of his best work including research in quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and a model of weak de

Richard Feynman (11 May – 15 February ) was an Americanphysicist of Jewish descent. He was part of the Manhattan Project team that made the atomic bomb. Feynman won the Nobel Prize in Physics He was one of the first people to study quantum physics. Feynman added significantly to a branch of science called quantum electrodynamics and invented the Feynman diagram. He was also one of the first scientists to discuss about the possibility of quantum computers.

During World War II, Feynman worked on the Manhattan Project at Princeton University and Los Alamos National Laboratory. At age 24, he was the youngest group leader in the theoretical division and helped create the formula for predicting the energy yield of a nuclear bomb.

In , Feynman joined the Rogers Commission Report to investigate the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Feynman's role in the commission was said to have helped it discover the reasons behind the explosion.

Personal life

He was born in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York City. He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Princeton University.

Feynman was married to Arline Greenbaum from until her death in He was then married to Mary Louise Bell from until their divorce in He was then married to Gweneth Howarth from until his death. Feynman had two children.

Feynman, who had liposarcoma, died of problems caused by kidney failure in Los Angeles, California on 15 February at the age of

His sister Joan Feynman (&#;) was an astrophysicist.

Writings

Feynman was known for making physics popular through both books and lectures, including a talk on top-down nanotechnology called There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom and the three-volume publication of his undergraduate lectures, The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

Feynman also became known through his autobiog

by Mark Martin

1. Prologue:

Twentieth century physics is very often defined by a pair of sweeping, powerful icons of nature, namely, the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, which were brought into the world at about the years and , respectively. But tucked between these two dates is the year , and in the spring of that year there came into the world another sweeping icon capable of single handedly defining twentieth century physics, and that icon was, and is, Richard Feynman. He was born into what was, in retrospect, perhaps an intellectual stew simmering to perfection.

2. How to Start a Feynman:

Feynman&#;s childhood home was in the community of Far Rockaway, just on the southern skirt of Manhattan. Financially his family was neither rich nor poor. They were materially comfortable, but not wealthy. As a young man he had the opportunity to learn to work industriously, but without undo pressure to perform. That in itself would be a theme that he&#;d rediscover periodically over his lifetime. The rewards for his labors were his own. He would be the judge of his own merit. He was a free man.  But what to do with his freedom?

In this direction his father, Melville, would be most influential. It was he who, as the birth of who would be Richard approached, determined that, if the child turned out to be a boy, then he would grow up to be a scientist. (This was male oriented to be sure, but at the time a girl wouldn&#;t have been reasonably expected to get past &#;the guards&#; at the gates of academia. Richard&#;s younger sister, Joan, got past the guards anyway, and became a very productive astrophysicist.) This was something of an unsatisfied dream his father held for himself. But as things turned out, this wasn&#;t a forthcoming reality, and by guiding a new son in this direction he could live his dream vicariously. His son did arrive, and Melville dove into his plans with all sincerity. But never would he push Richard along too narrow a path