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First edition, rare offprint, of the article from which, according to Silvan Schweber ('Enrico Fermi and Quantum Electrodynamics, 1929 32,' Physics Today 55, 2002), a generation of physicists learned quantum electrodynamics. "None of the alternative formulations - Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli's, in particular - combined the simplicity, transparency and thoroughness of Fermi's approach" (ibid.). "Attempts to build up a relativistic quantum theory of matter and fields, based on the pioneering contributions of Jordan and Dirac, were made by a small but growing number of physicists. The majority showed little interest in the field, which seemed quite frightening because of its conceptual difficulties and mathematical complexity. Quantum electrodynamics was for some years a rather mysterious theory that was only understood by a few specialists. This situation remained until Fermi published an extensive review of the theory in 1932 [the offered paper], presenting it in a clear and pedagogical way that made it accessible to a larger part of the physics community" (Kragh, Dirac, p. 127). "Fermi visited the United States for the first time during the summer of 1930. Rasetti had been in Pasadena in 1929 and on his return to Rome had filled our heads with the wonders of California . . . It is possible that Rasetti's enthusiasm influenced Fermi. At any rate, when the University of Michigan invited him to teach theoretical physics at a summer session, he accepted happily. He found two old friends, Uhlenbeck and Goudsmit, the discoverers of the electron spin, who had moved from their native Holland to Ann Arbor . . . Ehrenfest joined the group for the summer, and the atmosphere was most congenial. Fermi lectured on the quantum theory of radiation and explained that rather new and difficult subject very beautifully. The visit to Ann Arbor was a great success scientifically and was a pleasant interlude for Fermi - so much so that he became one of the most frequent attendants of the summer school there, returning in 1933 and 1935. Through these visits he came to like America and to appreciate the opportunities it offered . . . These considerations prepared him to emigrate, and when the time came, the decision was more the fulfillment of a long nurtured plan than an emergency escape" (Segrè, Enrico Fermi, p. 63). "The impact of the summer symposia at Ann Arbor on the growth of theoretical physics in America deserves special attention . . . Of particular interest for the spreading of quantum field theory were Fermi's 1930 lectures on quantum electrodynamics which, edited by Uhlenbeck, were published soon thereafter. Fermi's exposé made this new subject clear to a wider audience especially because it contained numerous applications. According to Uhlenbeck, Fermi had prepared himself for lecturing in English by taking a course at a Berlitz school in Rome, thus acquiring fluency which, however, was not quite accent-free" (Pais, Inward Bound, p. 366). Enrico Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938, "for his demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow electrons". Large 8vo, pp. 87-132. Original orange printed wrappers (spine rubbed). Seller Inventory # ABE-1677594949787
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