Raj Pathria
Encyclopedia
Professor Raj Kumar Pathria (born March 30, 1933) is a theoretical physicist and an Urdu
poet.
Pathria is known for his work on Superfluidity in liquid helium
, Lorentz transformation
of thermodynamic quantities, a rigorous evaluation of lattice sums and finite-size effects in phase transitions.
Pathria is also the author of a well-known graduate text book on Statistical Mechanics
, which has recently appeared in its third edition. He also wrote a book on Relativity that has been published in a Dover edition.
Raj Pathria received his early education in a local high school in Ramdas --- named "Baba Buddha Khalsa High School" --- where he passed his matriculation examination in 1948, breaking all previous records held at that school.
He then joined the Hindu College, Amritsar
, where he had the privilege of being not only a classmate but also a good friend of Manmohan Singh
(who is currently the Prime Minister of India
). For record’s sake, while Raj was a constant topper in the Science faculty of that college, Manmohan was so in the Arts faculty. And, luckily, between the two of them, there never ever was even a tinge of academic rivalry.
In fact, when in May 1951 the Hindu College invited some of its former students to receive a volley of academic awards, Raj had to travel from Hoshiarpur
(where he was now studying Physics
) to Amritsar
by bus to receive the many awards due to him, while Manmohan (who was still living in Amritsar
and was now studying Economics
) simply walked into the place!
However, when the award ceremony was over, Raj had no idea as to where he would spend the impending night. That is when Manmohan came to his rescue, suggesting that he should stay at their place and go to Hoshiarpur
the next day. This kind invitation on the part of Manmohan gave Raj the delightful opportunity of not only meeting but also enjoying the generous hospitality of the Kohli
family.
in July 1953 and July 1954, respectively, and soon thereafter, at the invitation of Professor F.C. Auluck, joined the graduate school of Physics at the University of Delhi
for his doctoral studies --- which he completed in March 1957. In February 1958, he joined the University of Delhi
as a Lecturer in Physics
and in April 1961 got promoted to Readership. In August 1964, he left Delhi to take up a ‘Visiting Professorship’ at McMaster University
in Canada.
Even though his field of research at the University of Delhi
was primarily Statistical Mechanics
, Pathria, during that time, got fascinated with the subject of relativity
and in 1963, with the friendly cooperation of the Hindustan Book Agency, produced a book entitled ‘THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY’. This maiden attempt at book-writing resulted in fabulous reviews from far and wide, especially from Professor William McCrea
–-- who himself was a celebrated author on this subject. In 1974, the Pergamon Press, Oxford produced a second edition of that book and in 2003 Dover Publications
of New York took that book under their protective wings --- thus granting this forty-year-old venture an indisputable ‘certificate of immortality’!
In Canada, Pathria continued his research in the diverse field of ‘Statistical Mechanics
’; at the same time, he gave graduate courses on that subject at McMaster University
, Hamilton
and the University of Alberta
, Edmonton
. In 1967, he returned to India
to take up Professorship of Theoretical Physics
at the Panjab University, Chandigarh
where (apart from conducting research in a variety of subjects in Mathematical Physics
) he continued his mission of disseminating among his students the knowledge of the fundamentals of Statistical Mechanics
.
In 1969, Pathria returned to Canada
and, in addition to his other academic pursuits, continued to teach a variety of courses at the University of Waterloo
and the University of Windsor
. In 1972 the Pergammon Press, Oxford published his classic text on "STATISTICAL MECHANICS" which became an instant success on the international scene!
In the early nineties, when his new publishers (Butterworth-Heinemann) persuaded Pathria to produce a second edition of this celebrated text, he sought the help of Surjit Singh, a former student of his from the Chandigarh
days (who had also been a post-doctoral fellow with him at Waterloo during the years 1983-1987). The result of this joint effort was a brand new edition of this book that came out in July 1996 and, like its predecessor, continued to be a ‘best-seller’!
The history repeated itself in the year 2009 when Pathria’s newest publishers (Elsevier/Academic) prevailed upon him to produce a third edition of this book. He now sought the help of Paul Beale, of the University of Colorado
at Boulder, whose co-authorship produced another brand new edition of this book in March 2011!
In between the last two events, Pathria retired from the University of Waterloo
in August 1998 and, soon thereafter, moved to the west coast of the USA and became an ‘Adjunct Professor of Physics’ at the University of California
at San Diego --- a position he continues to hold till today.
, the only hobbies Pathria has are CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS and URDU POETRY!
Right from his childhood, Pathria was nurtured in an atmosphere replete with Urdu language, Urdu idiom and Urdu poetry
and, as luck would have it, he is still immersed in that mesmerizing marsh!
Having read, and imbibed, dozens of classics emanating from stalwarts like Mir
, Ghalib, Zauq, Momin, Hali
, Dagh and Iqbal
, down to modernists like AsGhar, Fani
, Hasrat
, Jigar
, Firaq and Faiz, Pathria finally turned to writing Urdu poetry himself ---- but only around the year 1993 when he was close to retirement from Physics
. The result so far has been phenomenal!
Pathria --- now pen-named ‘Qais’ (after the legendary lover of the Persian damsel Laila) --- somehow ‘steals’ almost any poetic symposium he happens to attend! Among literary circles, he is now known for his latest compilation of Urdu Ghazal
s entitled "Saihraa Saihraa", which was published by M.R. Publications of Daryaganj, New Delhi
, towards the end of the year 2005. His post-2005 compositions might warrant another book entitled --- who knows what!
Pathrias are also blessed with five grandchildren --- Max, Cam, Rita, Sonali and Sachin.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poet.
Pathria is known for his work on Superfluidity in liquid helium
Liquid helium
Helium exists in liquid form only at extremely low temperatures. The boiling point and critical point depend on the isotope of the helium; see the table below for values. The density of liquid helium-4 at its boiling point and 1 atmosphere is approximately 0.125 g/mL Helium-4 was first liquefied...
, Lorentz transformation
Lorentz transformation
In physics, the Lorentz transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald transformation describes how, according to the theory of special relativity, two observers' varying measurements of space and time can be converted into each other's frames of reference. It is named after the Dutch physicist Hendrik...
of thermodynamic quantities, a rigorous evaluation of lattice sums and finite-size effects in phase transitions.
Pathria is also the author of a well-known graduate text book on Statistical Mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
, which has recently appeared in its third edition. He also wrote a book on Relativity that has been published in a Dover edition.
Early life
Raj Kumar Pathria was born in a middle class Panjabi family to parents Ramji Das Pathria and Mela Devi Pathria. He is married to a former student of his named Raj Kumari.Raj Pathria received his early education in a local high school in Ramdas --- named "Baba Buddha Khalsa High School" --- where he passed his matriculation examination in 1948, breaking all previous records held at that school.
He then joined the Hindu College, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, where he had the privilege of being not only a classmate but also a good friend of Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
(who is currently the Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
). For record’s sake, while Raj was a constant topper in the Science faculty of that college, Manmohan was so in the Arts faculty. And, luckily, between the two of them, there never ever was even a tinge of academic rivalry.
In fact, when in May 1951 the Hindu College invited some of its former students to receive a volley of academic awards, Raj had to travel from Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
(where he was now studying Physics
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...
) to Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
by bus to receive the many awards due to him, while Manmohan (who was still living in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
and was now studying Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
) simply walked into the place!
However, when the award ceremony was over, Raj had no idea as to where he would spend the impending night. That is when Manmohan came to his rescue, suggesting that he should stay at their place and go to Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
the next day. This kind invitation on the part of Manmohan gave Raj the delightful opportunity of not only meeting but also enjoying the generous hospitality of the Kohli
Kohli
Kohli is a well-known Khatri surname originating from Punjab in north-western India.The Khukhrain are a group of eight specific clans of the Khatri sub-caste. The names of the eight clans are: Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni, Sethi and Suri,...
family.
Career
Raj Pathria obtained his B.Sc. Honours and M.Sc. Honours degrees from Panjab University, HoshiarpurHoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
in July 1953 and July 1954, respectively, and soon thereafter, at the invitation of Professor F.C. Auluck, joined the graduate school of Physics at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
for his doctoral studies --- which he completed in March 1957. In February 1958, he joined the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
as a Lecturer in Physics
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...
and in April 1961 got promoted to Readership. In August 1964, he left Delhi to take up a ‘Visiting Professorship’ at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Canada.
Even though his field of research at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
was primarily Statistical Mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
, Pathria, during that time, got fascinated with the subject of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
and in 1963, with the friendly cooperation of the Hindustan Book Agency, produced a book entitled ‘THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY’. This maiden attempt at book-writing resulted in fabulous reviews from far and wide, especially from Professor William McCrea
William McCrea (astronomer)
Sir William Hunter McCrea FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:His family moved to Kent in 1906 and then Derbyshire where he attended Chesterfield Grammar School. His father was a school master at Netherthorpe Grammar School in Staveley...
–-- who himself was a celebrated author on this subject. In 1974, the Pergamon Press, Oxford produced a second edition of that book and in 2003 Dover Publications
Dover Publications
Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
of New York took that book under their protective wings --- thus granting this forty-year-old venture an indisputable ‘certificate of immortality’!
In Canada, Pathria continued his research in the diverse field of ‘Statistical Mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
’; at the same time, he gave graduate courses on that subject at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. In 1967, he returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to take up Professorship of 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...
at the Panjab University, Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
where (apart from conducting research in a variety of subjects in Mathematical Physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
) he continued his mission of disseminating among his students the knowledge of the fundamentals of Statistical Mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
.
In 1969, Pathria returned to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and, in addition to his other academic pursuits, continued to teach a variety of courses at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
and the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
. In 1972 the Pergammon Press, Oxford published his classic text on "STATISTICAL MECHANICS" which became an instant success on the international scene!
In the early nineties, when his new publishers (Butterworth-Heinemann) persuaded Pathria to produce a second edition of this celebrated text, he sought the help of Surjit Singh, a former student of his from the Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
days (who had also been a post-doctoral fellow with him at Waterloo during the years 1983-1987). The result of this joint effort was a brand new edition of this book that came out in July 1996 and, like its predecessor, continued to be a ‘best-seller’!
The history repeated itself in the year 2009 when Pathria’s newest publishers (Elsevier/Academic) prevailed upon him to produce a third edition of this book. He now sought the help of Paul Beale, of the University of Colorado
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
at Boulder, whose co-authorship produced another brand new edition of this book in March 2011!
In between the last two events, Pathria retired from the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
in August 1998 and, soon thereafter, moved to the west coast of the USA and became an ‘Adjunct Professor of Physics’ at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at San Diego --- a position he continues to hold till today.
Honours
- Fellowship of the American Physical Society, 1976
- Recipient of the "Distinguished Teacher award", University of Waterloo, 1977 --- the citation for this award was presented at the UW convocation held on May 27, 1977
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Waterloo, 1999 --- this honor was bestowed upon Professor Pathria at the UW convocation held on June 18, 1999
Research interests
Raj Pathria has published about 120 research papers in a variety of international journals of repute. These papers are mainly spread over the following topics.- Superfluidity in liquid helium II --- one of the topics of Pathria’s Ph.D. thesis, pursued in collaboration with S.M. Bhagat.
- Lorentz transformation of thermodynamic quantities --- a major topic of Pathria’s Ph.D. thesis, pursued on his own.
- Polymers and the Theory of Numbers --- a fascinating subject pursued in collaboration with V.S. Nanda.
- A statistical study of ‘Random Numbers’ --- pursued independently.
- Finite-size effects in systems undergoing phase transitions --- pursued in collaboration with A.D. Singh Nagi, Stanley Greenspoon, Chris Zasada, Scott Allen and, most importantly, Surjit Singh. It was Surjit Singh whose collaboration enabled Pathria to establish a unified view of the first-order and second-order phase transitions; it was the same collaboration that produced an enviable stack of 22 joint research papers!
- A rigorous evaluation of ‘lattice sums’ using Poisson’s summation formula --- pursued in collaboration with A.N. Chaba and Surjit Singh.
- A study of ‘stochastic phenomena in sociology’ --- pursued in collaboration with Karmeshu and C.L. Sharma.
Other interests
Apart from Mathematical PhysicsMathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
, the only hobbies Pathria has are CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS and URDU POETRY!
Right from his childhood, Pathria was nurtured in an atmosphere replete with Urdu language, Urdu idiom and Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry is a rich tradition of poetry and has many different types and forms. Borrowing much from the Persian language, it is today an important part of Pakistani and North Indian culture....
and, as luck would have it, he is still immersed in that mesmerizing marsh!
Having read, and imbibed, dozens of classics emanating from stalwarts like Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
, Ghalib, Zauq, Momin, Hali
Maulana Hali
Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali was an Urdu poet, and Writer. Hali occupies a special position in the history of Urdu literature. He was a poet, a critic, a teacher, a reformer and an impressive prose-writer...
, Dagh and Iqbal
Muhammad Iqbal
Sir Muhammad Iqbal , commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal , was a poet and philosopher born in Sialkot, then in the Punjab Province of British India, now in Pakistan...
, down to modernists like AsGhar, Fani
Fani
Fani is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Bla in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 10,184....
, Hasrat
Hasrat
Hasrat is a popular pen name for Urdu poets in India and Pakistan. It is an Urdu word meaning "unfulfilled wish", which is derived from the Arabic word "Hasrah". One reason this word is favored by Urdu poets is that it has melancholy undertones. Notable Urdu poets that use this pen name include:...
, Jigar
Jigar
Jigar is a Bollywood 1992 Indian film directed by Farogh Siddique. It was inspired by the Hollywood blockbuster Bloodsport. Jigar was released in Diwali weekend and proved to be successful.-Storyline:...
, Firaq and Faiz, Pathria finally turned to writing Urdu poetry himself ---- but only around the year 1993 when he was close to retirement from Physics
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...
. The result so far has been phenomenal!
Pathria --- now pen-named ‘Qais’ (after the legendary lover of the Persian damsel Laila) --- somehow ‘steals’ almost any poetic symposium he happens to attend! Among literary circles, he is now known for his latest compilation of Urdu Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s entitled "Saihraa Saihraa", which was published by M.R. Publications of Daryaganj, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, towards the end of the year 2005. His post-2005 compositions might warrant another book entitled --- who knows what!
Personal life
As mentioned above, Raj Pathria is married to a former student of his --- named Raj Kumari! Raj and Raj Pathria have two daughters --- Mini (a bone radiologist in San Diego) and Dimpy (a computer scientist in Chicago) --- and a son Anu (a software engineer in San Diego).Pathrias are also blessed with five grandchildren --- Max, Cam, Rita, Sonali and Sachin.