Quantum Electrodynamics

by Richard P. Feynman

This text material constitutes notes on the third of a three-semester course in quantum mechanics given at the California Institute of Technology in 1953, presenting the main results and calculational procedures of quantum electrodynamics.

Genres: Physics, Science, Nonfiction, Mathematics, Textbooks

198 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1962

About the author

Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, together with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. Feynman developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime and after his death, Feynman became one of the most publicly known scientists in the world.

He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology (creation of devices at the molecular scale). He held the Richard Chace Tolman professorship in theoretical physics at Caltech.

-wikipedia

See Ричард Фейнман

Reviews

[Skymeson Rolnick]

Always good to look at books by Feynman. He's one of the pioneers of QED and has a lot of insight.

[renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

phenomenal (read the first three chapters in the span of two days and the last one a month later)

[Elijah Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable inspection of how everything we think we know about the world and physics is really just interactions of electrons.

[Jithin Mukundan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have observed after reading books written by great scientists like Einstein and Feynman that they are extremely eager to make common people understand their theories. They explain complex theories like relativity and quantum physics using very novel techniques and thought experiments that I guess are intended for an audience with non-technical background and an average IQ. Coming to this book, which is a series of four lectures by Feynman on Quantum Electrodynamics, I do not know if anyone could explain it any more simpler. Of course you will not know everything that is happening at quantum level from this series, mostly because Feynman himself doesn't know as he admits from the beginning. Feynman explains only those things that match with the results of scientific experiments. Beyond that I guess he has left it to philosophy/ God. And fortunately QED is something that is extensively tested and results are found in conformity with the theory. But believe me, it is not at all a boring read. You'll find that light can travel faster or slower, it can go in a zigzag manner instead of a straight line, particles can go backward in time, they can simultaneously be at two different locations and so on. Weird theories defying classical mechanics but experimentally proved with utmost accuracy. Also, many of the the classical physics theories that seem very obvious to us in daily world are in fact extremely complex at the fundamental quantum level but somehow consistently balance to make it look simple at a macroscopic level. My only regret as always is that if I were aware of these books at school or college level, my career path would have been different.

[Esra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feynman is great

[Utkarsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and easy to understand, Highly intuitive and easy!

[Nico Crudele · Rating 4 out of 5]

The analogies involving clocks seem like a good simplification for a non-physicist, but they still confused me. Overall still a good book!

[Karlo Oropesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh God, QED.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feynman at it again. An enjoyable exposure to the field of QED.

[Gerald De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feynman is so good.

[Daniel Barbosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you really think what the hell is up with nature's building blocks. Is light conscious?