Contents
Max Born
Explaining quantum waves in terms of probability.
Matrix mechanics · Probability rule
- Born
- 11 December 1882
- Birthplace
- Breslau, now Wrocław, Poland
- Died
- 5 January 1970
More people
Max Born
Max Born was a German-born British physicist who helped build quantum mechanics and trained a generation of theorists.
Early life
Breslau
Grew up in an academic family; his father was an anatomist.
Göttingen
Studied mathematics and physics, completing his doctorate in 1906.
Career
- 1921
Göttingen professor
Built an influential centre of theoretical physics.
- 1933
Exile
Left Germany after the Nazis suspended him from his university post.
- 1936–1952
Edinburgh
Held the Tait chair of natural philosophy until retirement.
Contributions
Matrix mechanics
Developed the mathematical framework with Werner Heisenberg and Pascual Jordan.
Probability rule
Interpreted the wavefunction as a way to predict measurement probabilities.
Nobel Prize
Received the physics prize for his foundational quantum research.
Beyond the lab
Peace advocacy
Opposed nuclear weapons and signed the 1955 Russell–Einstein Manifesto.
Family
His granddaughter was singer Olivia Newton-John.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and research ↗Photo: See source. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
