Missed Opportunities Dyson

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1、BULLETINOFTHEAMERICANMATHEMATICALSOCIETYVolume78,Number5,September1972MISSEDOPPORTUNITIES1BYFREEMANJ.DYSONItisimportantforhimwhowantstodiscovernottoconfinehim•selftoonechapterofscience,buttokeepintouchwithvariousothers.JACQUESHADAMARD1.Introduction.Thepurp

2、oseoftheGibbslecturesisofficiallydefinedas"toenablethepublicandtheacademiccommunitytobecomeawareofthecontributionthatmathematicsismakingtopresent-daythinkingandtomoderncivilization."Thisputsmeinadifficultposition.Ihappentobeaphysicistwhostartedlifeasamathe

3、matician.Asaworkingphysicist,Iamacutelyawareofthefactthatthemarriagebetweenmathematicsandphysics,whichwassoenormouslyfruitfulinpastcenturies,hasrecentlyendedindivorce.Discussingthisdivorce,thephysicistResJostremarkedtheotherday,"Asusualinsuchaffairs,oneoft

4、hetwopartieshasclearlygottheworstofit."Duringthelasttwentyyearswehaveseenmathematicsrushingaheadinagoldenageofluxuriantgrowth,whiletheoreticalphysicsleftonitsownhasbecomealittleshabbyandpeevish.SoIamforcedtogivethislectureanemphasisdifferentfromthatintende

5、dbythefounders.Insteadoftalkingabout"thecontributionthatmathematicsismakingtopresent-daythinking"inmyfield,Ishalltalkaboutthecontributionthatmathematicsoughttohavemadebutdidnot.Ishallexamineindetailsomeexamplesofmissedopportunities,occasionsonwhichmathemat

6、iciansandphysicistslostchancesofmakingdiscoveriesbyneglectingtotalktoeachother.Mypurposeincallingattentiontosuchincidentsisnottoblamethemathematiciansortoexcusethephysicistsforourfailureinthelasttwentyyearstoequalthegreatachievementsofthepast.Mypurposeisno

7、ttolamentthepastbuttomouldthefuture.ItisobviouslyabsurdformetoimaginethatIcanmouldthefuturewithaone-hourlecture.ThefactthatHilbertin1900[1]andMinkowskiin1908[2]succeededindoingitdoesnotgivemeanyconfidencethatIcandoittoo.ButatleastIhavelearnedfromHilbertand

8、Minkowskithatonedoesnotinfluencepeoplebytalkingingeneralities.HilbertandMinkowskigavespecificsuggestionsofthingsthatmathematiciansandphysicistscouldprofitablythinkaboutIshalltrytofollowtheir1JosiahWillardGibb