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Re: [Phys-l] stranger than fiction



1) The idea of Green function is reasonably explained and indeed
conventionally defined in terms of Dirac delta functions.
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/GreensFunction.html

2) George Green formulated the Green function idea circa 1830.

3) Paul Dirac formulated the delta function idea circa 1930.

What's wrong with this picture?

Well, I've often heard you write that there is no particular reason to explain a physics topic as it was done historically; in fact, more modern approaches might make "more sense." (discussions of entropy here come to mind). :-)

So if it's conventionally defined in terms of delta functions, did GG then use them? And if so, it would seem that Dirac might not deserve the accolades? Or, did GG use a more convoluted approach? (too lazy to google it right now)


Stefan Jeglinski