English

Examples of the Zeroth Theorem of the History of Physics

History and Philosophy of Physics 2009-11-13 v2

Abstract

The zeroth theorem of the history of science (enunciated by E. P. Fischer) and widely known in the mathematics community as Arnol'd's Principle (decreed by M. V. Berry), states that a discovery (rule, regularity, insight) named after someone (often) did not originate with that person. I present five examples from physics: the Lorentz condition defining the Lorentz gauge of the electromagnetic potentials; the Dirac delta function (x); the Schumann resonances of the earth-ionosphere cavity; the Weizsacker-Williams method of virtual quanta; the BMT equation of spin dynamics. I give illustrated thumbnail sketches of both the true and reputed discoverers and quote from their "discovery" publications.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0708.4249,
  title  = {Examples of the Zeroth Theorem of the History of Physics},
  author = {J. D. Jackson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0708.4249},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

36 pages, 8 figures. Small revisions, added material and references - Arnol'd's law, Emil Wiechert. Submitted to Am. J. Phys