Paul A.M. Dirac’s The Principles of Quantum Mechanics

Abstract

Paul A.M. Dirac’s book, The Principles of Quantum Mechanics, summarized the foundations of a new science, much of which was his own creation. It expressed the spirit of the new quantum mechanics, creating a descriptive language that we still use. I discuss the successive editions of Dirac’s book and their critical reception, noting changes, especially in the formulation of the general theory and in its treatment of relativistic quantum theory and quantum electrodynamics. In the case of the later editions, I discuss Dirac’s negative attitude toward renormalized quantum electrodynamics.