The Cofounder of Quantum Field Theory: Pascual Jordan

TL;DR

This paper compares Jordan's and Dirac's methods for quantizing many-body systems in quantum field theory, emphasizing Jordan's field operator approach as the foundational method used today.

Contribution

It clarifies the historical and conceptual differences between Jordan's and Dirac's approaches to second quantization, highlighting Jordan's approach as the basis of modern quantum field theory.

Findings

Jordan's field operator approach is the basis of current quantum field theory.

The paper clarifies the historical development of second quantization.

Jordan's method remains fundamental in quantum field theory.

Abstract

A comparative study is undertaken that brings to light the two different methods of how to treat the many-body problem in quantum field theory. The two main researchers who published the first versions of how to quantize a many-body assembly were P. Jordan and P.A.M. Dirac. What they understood by the so-called "second quantization" will be the subject of the paper. We will argue that it is Jordan's field operator approach that until now constitutes the basis of any work in quantum field theory.