A Life in Statistical Mechanics. Part 1: From Chedar in Taceva, to Yeshiva University in New York

TL;DR

This paper is the first part of an oral history interview detailing Joel Lebowitz's lifelong contributions to statistical mechanics, covering his early years, emigration, and initial scientific collaborations.

Contribution

It provides a personal historical account of Lebowitz's formative years and early scientific work in statistical mechanics, enriching the historical understanding of the field's development.

Findings

Personal insights into the development of statistical mechanics

Historical context of scientific collaborations during Lebowitz's early career

Documentation of Lebowitz's influence on the field

Abstract

This is the first part of an oral history interview on the lifelong involvement of Joel Lebowitz in the development of statistical mechanics. Here the covered topics include the formative years, which overlapped the tragic period of Nazi power and World War II in Europe, the emigration to the United States in 1946 and the schooling there. It also includes the beginnings and early scientific works with Peter Bergmann, Oliver Penrose and many others. The second part will appear in a forthcoming issue of European Physical Journal H.