Kurt Symanzik
Encyclopedia
Kurt Symanzik was a German
physicist
working in quantum field theory
.
, and spent his childhood in Königsberg
. He started studying physics in 1946 at Universität München
but after a short time moved to Werner Heisenberg
at Göttingen
. There also the fruitful collaboration with Wolfhart Zimmermann
and Harry Lehmann
started. In 1954 he earned his PhD for his thesis The Schwinger functional in quantum field theory.
After teaching at Princeton and CERN he gained a full professorship at the New York
Courant Institute, which he left 1968 for the Hamburg
DESY
. He died in Hamburg.
and the Callan–Symanzik equation.
His early work in non-perturbative quantum field theory together in a circle with other researches nicknamed "Feldverein" led to now classic results. He also contributed to the Euclidean quantum field theory ansatz.
Since 1970 his interests shifted to Lattice gauge theory
. In 1981 he was awarded the Max Planck medal
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
working in 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...
.
Life
Symanzik was born in Lyck (Ełk), East PrussiaEast Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, and spent his childhood in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
. He started studying physics in 1946 at Universität München
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
but after a short time moved to Werner Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics and is best known for asserting the uncertainty principle of quantum theory...
at Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
. There also the fruitful collaboration with Wolfhart Zimmermann
Wolfhart Zimmermann
Wolfhart Zimmermann is a German theoretical physicist. Zimmermann attained a doctorate in 1950 at Freiburg im Breisgau in topology . In the 1950s he was at Göttingen one of the pioneers of the mathematical quantum field theory; along with Kurt Symanzik and Harry Lehmann he developed the LSZ theory...
and Harry Lehmann
Harry Lehmann
Harry Lehmann was a German physicist.Lehmann studied physics at Rostock and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin....
started. In 1954 he earned his PhD for his thesis The Schwinger functional in quantum field theory.
After teaching at Princeton and CERN he gained a full professorship at the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Courant Institute, which he left 1968 for the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
DESY
DESY
The DESY is the biggest German research center for particle physics, with sites in Hamburg and Zeuthen....
. He died in Hamburg.
Work
Symanzik is most well known for LSZ reduction formulaLSZ reduction formula
In quantum field theory, the LSZ reduction formula is a method to calculate p-matrix elements from the time-ordered correlation functions of a quantum field theory. It is a step of the path that starts from the Lagrangian of some quantum field theory and leads to prediction of measurable quantities...
and the Callan–Symanzik equation.
His early work in non-perturbative quantum field theory together in a circle with other researches nicknamed "Feldverein" led to now classic results. He also contributed to the Euclidean quantum field theory ansatz.
Since 1970 his interests shifted to Lattice gauge theory
Lattice gauge theory
In physics, lattice gauge theory is the study of gauge theories on a spacetime that has been discretized into a lattice. Gauge theories are important in particle physics, and include the prevailing theories of elementary particles: quantum electrodynamics, quantum chromodynamics and the Standard...
. In 1981 he was awarded the Max Planck medal
Max Planck medal
The Max Planck medal is an award for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. It is awarded annually by the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft , the world's largest organization of physicists.-List of recipients:...
.