Biography: Maverick Mathematician Joe Moyal

[Astronuc]

I stumbled across this biography while reading about Graham Farmelo's biography of Paul Dirac.

http://epress.anu.edu.au/maverick/html/prelims.html
Maverick Mathematician
The Life and Science of J.E. Moyal


It's interesting because there is an appendix with correspondence between Moyal and Dirac.
http://epress.anu.edu.au/maverick/html/apb.html
Appendix 2. P.A.M. Dirac – J. E. Moyal: Correspondence, 1944-1946. Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, MS 45/3/

Appendix 3. contains his paper -Quantum Mechanics as a Statistical Theory by J.E. Moyal
Originally published in the Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Vol. 45, 1949.

http://epress.anu.edu.au/maverick/pdf/app03.pdf
Reproduced with permission of Cambridge University Press.

Moyal was also an engineer.

 

[marcus]

Kea made significant references to Moyal when she was posting at PF. After being alerted, I kept hearing the name. Especially the "Moyal product". For some reason the people who approach quantum gravity via noncommutative geometry and noncommutative field theory often mention things going by his name. Could turn out to be important.

1910-1998. This obit emphasizes his work as an engineer.
http://www.hep.anl.gov/czachos/moyal.html

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I find this biography of J.E. Moyal to be fascinating. Moyal was not only a mathematician, but also an engineer, which shows his diverse interests and capabilities. His correspondence with Paul Dirac, one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, is also intriguing. It's always interesting to see how great minds communicate and collaborate with each other.

I am particularly interested in Appendix 3, which contains Moyal's paper on quantum mechanics as a statistical theory. This was a groundbreaking concept at the time and had a major impact on the development of quantum mechanics. It's impressive that Moyal's work was published in the Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, a prestigious journal, and shows the significance of his contributions to the field.

Overall, this biography provides valuable insights into the life and work of a maverick mathematician who made significant contributions to both mathematics and physics. It's a reminder that great scientists often have diverse backgrounds and interests, and it's important to explore different fields and collaborate with others to push the boundaries of knowledge.