Ebook: QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

Richard P. Feynman (1918–1988) was professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology.

Celebrated for his brilliantly quirky insights into the physical world, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman also possessed an extraordinary talent for explaining difficult concepts to the general public. Here Feynman provides a classic and definitive introduction to QED (namely, quantum electrodynamics), that part of quantum field theory describing the interactions of light with charged particles. Using everyday language, spatial concepts, visualizations, and his renowned “Feynman diagrams” instead of advanced mathematics, Feynman clearly and humorously communicates both the substance and spirit of QED to the layperson. A. Zee’s introduction places Feynman’s book and his seminal contribution to QED in historical context and further highlights Feynman’s uniquely appealing and illuminating style.

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"Feynman simply cannot help being original. In this quirky, fascinating book, he explains to laymen the quantum theory of light."
— New Yorker

"[A]nother tour de force by the acknowledged master of clear explanation in physics."
— John Roche, Times Literary Supplement

"Feynman's lectures must have been marvellous and they have been turned into an equally entrancing book, a vivid introduction to QED which is leavened and enlivened by his wit. Anyone with a curiosity about physics today should buy it, not only to get to grips with the deepest meaning of quantum theory but to possess a slice of history."
— Pedro Waloschek, Nature

"In four conversational and breezy chapters ... Feynman, who himself gave the theory its most useful and powerful form, undertakes without one equation to explain QED to the generality of readers."
— Philip Morrison, Scientific American

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Table of Contents

Foreword by Leonard Mautner .... vii
Preface by Ralph Leighton .... ix
Acknowledgement .... xi

1. Introduction .... 3
2. Photons: Particles of Light .... 36
3. Electrons and Their Interactions ..... 77
4. Loose Ends .... 124

Index .... 153

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