Carl M. Bender
Encyclopedia
Carl M. Bender is Wilfred R. and Ann Lee Konneker Distinguished Professor of Physics
at Washington University in St. Louis
.
He received his A.B. in 1964 from Cornell University
, where he graduated summa cum laude and with Distinction in All Subjects. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D in physics from Harvard University
in 1965 and 1969, respectively.
Bender specializes in quantum mechanics
, quantum field theory
, black holes, global warming
and theoretical physics
. He also enjoys debunking scientific myths and the physics of the Star Wars
series. He is an expert on lower dimensional quantum field theories, which he refers to as "country-style quantum physics".
in 2003 for his work in lower dimensional quantum field theory.
In 1978 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society
. He is an Ulam Fellow, and he received the Fulbright Fellowship and Lady Davis Fellowship in 1995.
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
.
He received his A.B. in 1964 from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he graduated summa cum laude and with Distinction in All Subjects. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D in physics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1965 and 1969, respectively.
Bender specializes in quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, quantum field theory
Quantum field theory
Quantum field theory provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized by an infinite number of dynamical degrees of freedom, that is, fields and many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and...
, black holes, global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and theoretical physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
. He also enjoys debunking scientific myths and the physics of the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
series. He is an expert on lower dimensional quantum field theories, which he refers to as "country-style quantum physics".
Awards
He won a Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 2003 for his work in lower dimensional quantum field theory.
In 1978 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
. He is an Ulam Fellow, and he received the Fulbright Fellowship and Lady Davis Fellowship in 1995.
Works
- Carl M. Bender, Steven OrszagSteven A. OrszagSteven Alan Orszag was an American mathematician. He was the Percey F. Smith Professor of Mathematics at Yale University from 2000 until his death in 2011, having joined the Yale faculty in 1998. Earlier, he was the Forrest E...
, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers: Asymptotic Methods and Perturbation Theory, Springer, 1999, ISBN 9780387989310 - Carl M. Bender, Gerald V. Dunne, Covariance of the gauge field in three-dimensional quantum electrodynamics, Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991