![Page 1: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac
By: Cole Jorgensen
![Page 2: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Basics
• Full name: Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac • Born on 8th August, 1902, in Bristol,
England• Father was a Swiss immigrant• Mother was native of Cornwall England
![Page 3: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Personal Life
• Had a miner form of autism• Had an abusive father• Said he never knew love as a child• Had 1 brother and 1 sister
![Page 4: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Personal Life Continued
• Married Margit Wigner• Adopted her 2 children• Also had 2 more children with her
![Page 5: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Autism• Helped him achieve his
goals• Made him self-centered
but determined• Gave him ability to solve
complicated problems systematically
• Was especially good at mathematical problems
![Page 6: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Education
• Attended Bristol, St. John’s, and Cambridge, universities
• Obtained a degree in electrical engineering
• In 1926 graduated with a P.H.D. in mathematics
![Page 7: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Profession• Mathematics
professor at Cambridge University
• Physics and mathematics philosopher
• Published several papers/books on physics and mathematics
![Page 8: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Legacy• Founder of quantum
mechanics and quantum electrodynamics
• Developed theory of the electron and proton
• Developed several mathematical theories
• Published several books
![Page 9: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Wave theory
• Paul’s largest contribution to physics• Helped tie relativity theory and quantum
theory• Proved the two theories are connected but
opposing
![Page 10: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Honors and Awards
• Nobel Prize in physics• Awarded the Royal, Copley, and Max
Planck medals• Had several annual awards named after
him
![Page 11: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Death and After
• In 1984, Dirac died in Tallahassee, Florida• A street in his hometown named after him• Several memorials around the world built
in remembrance
![Page 12: Biography of Paul A. M. Dirac By: Cole Jorgensen](https://reader031.vdocument.in/reader031/viewer/2022013115/56649eb65503460f94bbf442/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Bibliography
• "Paul A.M. Dirac - Biography." Nobelprize.org. The Nobel Foundation. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1933/dirac-bio.html>.
• "Paul Dirac -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Dirac#Early_years>.