杨建邺，生于1935年，湖北红安人，武汉华中科技大学物理学院退休教授。对物理学史、物理学家和诺贝尔奖得主的事迹有特别的兴趣。著有《杰出物理学家的失误》《玻尔传》《爱因斯坦传》《窥探上帝的秘密——量子史话》等；译有《爱因斯坦传》《原子舞者——费米传》《夸克与美洲豹》等；主编有《20 世纪诺贝尔奖获奖者辞典》《诺贝尔奖史话》等。

在物理学开始出现的时候，物理学并没涉及数学，当然物理学里也就没有出现数学方程式，而只是纯文字的叙述。到法国数学家和物理学家笛卡儿开始研究物理学的时候，他首开先河在物理学中开始引入数学。从此，我们对世界的认识开始有所改观。本书把物理学发展进程中的关键事件和关键点梳理出来，然后通过公式的发现与应用，把历史故事讲述得更有条理，更有针对性，从而揭示出科学家认识这个世界的艰难历程。

序言 ············································································I

一、天上与地下力的统一—牛顿的万有引力方程 ··················1

1. 光荣从黑暗中迅速生长 ···········································3

2. 哲学家笛卡儿 ·····················································16

3. 天空立法者—开普勒 ··········································19

4. 牛顿和万有引力定律的建立 ····································37

5. 万有引力定律是普适的吗？ ····································44

二、电和磁的转换—麦克斯韦方程组 ·······························54

1. 一位喜爱哲学沉思的物理学家 ·································56

2. 电学中的牛顿—安培 ··········································59

3. 物理学基础中最深刻的变化 ····································61

4.“上帝的神来之笔” ·············································68

三、量子力学的基石—普朗克方程 ··································85

1. 紫外灾难的出现···················································85

2. 爱因斯坦使普朗克坐立不安 ····································94

四、引力的几何语言—广义相对论方程 ··························101

1.“我一生最愉快的思想” ······································102

2.“宇宙新理论和牛顿观念破产” ·····························108

3. 广义相对论方程比爱因斯坦更聪明 ··························112

五、矩阵力学的诞生—非对易方程 ································120

1. 走进物理学殿堂·················································122

2. 玻尔节上遇玻尔·················································125

3. 差一点得不到博士学位 ········································131

4. 哥本哈根之行，灵感突发 ·····································133

5. 量子力学的新形式 ··············································136

六、波动力学的提名—薛定谔方程 ································145

1. 维也纳大学出来的物理学家 ··································146

2. 机遇找到了薛定谔 ··············································150

3. 惊喜和诅咒并存·················································155

4. 薛定谔方程比薛定谔还聪明！ ·······························160

七、发现负能量—狄拉克方程 ·····································164

1. 狄拉克青少年时期 ··············································166

2. 剑桥大学的研究生 ··············································168

3. 初显身手，气象不凡 ···········································170

4. 狄拉克方程第一个意想不到的礼物—自旋 ··············174

5. 狄拉克方程的第二个意想不到的礼物—反粒子 ········180

八、相互作用的统一—杨 - 米尔斯场方程 ·······················184

1. 守恒和不变性之间的关系：诺特定律 ·······················186

2. 布鲁克海文实验室“十分不同的”感受 ····················189

3. 规范不变性和走火入魔 ········································190

4. 友谊、困难和辉煌 ··············································195

5. 希格斯和对称性自发破缺 ·····································200

九、数学与物理的分与合—方程式何以比物理学家聪明？ ·····208

参考书目 ·············································222