Contents
Satyendra Nath Bose
The particle statistics behind bosons and Bose–Einstein condensates.
Quantum physics · Bose–Einstein statistics
- Born
- 1 January 1894
- Birthplace
- Kolkata, India
- Died
- 4 February 1974
More people
Satyendra Nath Bose
Satyendra Nath Bose was an Indian physicist who found a new way to count particles of light. Albert Einstein extended his approach to atoms, helping establish quantum statistics. The particle family called bosons takes its name from Bose.
Early life
Calcutta schooling
Studied at Hindu School and Presidency College; Jagadish Chandra Bose was among his teachers.
Mathematics training
Completed degrees in mixed mathematics in 1913 and 1915.
Career
- 1916
Teaching in Calcutta
Joined the University of Calcutta, teaching physics alongside his research.
- 1921
University of Dhaka
Became a reader in physics at the newly established university.
- 1924–1926
Research in Europe
Worked in Paris and Berlin after Einstein helped publish his paper.
- 1945
Return to Calcutta
Returned as a professor of physics; later became vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati.
Contributions
Quantum statistics
Derived the distribution of light quanta using a new counting method.
Bose–Einstein theory
Einstein extended Bose’s method to a gas of atoms, predicting a collective quantum state.
Science in Bengali
Helped establish Bangiya Bijnan Parishad to bring science to Bengali-speaking readers.
Beyond physics
Music and languages
Played the esraj and read literature in several languages.
Family life
Married Ushabati Ghosh in 1914; they raised a large family.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and mathematics ↗S. N. Bose archive ↗Bose–Einstein condensates ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
