P. R. Wallace
P. R. Wallace | |
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Concordia University | |
Doctoral advisor | Leopold Infeld |
P. R. (Philip Russell; "Phil") Wallace (April 19, 1915 – March 20, 2006) was a
Early and wartime years
Born in Toronto in 1915, Wallace entered the University of Toronto in 1933, achieving a B.A. in mathematics in 1937, an M.A. in 1938, and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics in 1940 under Leopold Infeld with a thesis on electromagnetism in general relativity.[3] Advised by L. J. Synge, then head of the Applied Mathematics Department at Toronto, to hold himself ready for war work in Canada, Wallace took a two-year job at the
Academic and professional career
From mathematics to physics
When the Montreal effort moved to the Chalk River site in 1946, Wallace joined the Mathematics Department at McGill University and began to build a group of young theoretical physicists there. The anomaly, at least in North America, of theoretical physicists in the Math department, not in Physics, had historic roots at McGill, dating from Ernest Rutherford's time. More generally, Canadian universities followed the British model of separation of mathematics from physics, perhaps deigning to have a small separate department of applied mathematics. Rutherford's strongly expressed views solidified things at McGill for 50 years. But by the early 1960s circumstances had changed; Wallace and his group moved into the Physics Department. He has documented the post-war story of the growth of a tiny number of isolated theoretical physicists in Canada, basically "outsiders," into a viable community of "insiders," not only at McGill.[5]
Research
Initially working in nuclear physics and properties of graphite, in the mid-1950s Wallace turned his attention to the newly discovered
Teaching and mentoring
Wallace was a superb lecturer and mentor of students. His undergraduate course in methods of mathematical physics was inspirational. It allowed many students to see what a disciplined and well-trained mind could accomplish by applying mathematics to physical problems. More than a few careers were encouraged on their paths by Wallace's course. A text based on his notes was finally published in 1973.[9] Over his career at McGill Wallace supervised over 30 graduate students to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees, more than one third of them Ph.D.s. After his retirement he continued to teach in France at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse.
Professional activities
Wallace was active in professional affairs, a co-founder of the Canadian Association of Physicists and founder and first chair of its Theoretical Physics Division, 1957–58. He served as Editor of the Canadian Journal of Physics, 1973–80, and on numerous advisory and planning committees for conferences. At McGill he was Director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics, 1966–70, and active in faculty and university affairs.
Retirement
Retiring as Professor Emeritus in Physics in 1982, Wallace soon became Principal of the Science College,
Obituaries appear in Physics in Canada[12] and Physics Today.[13]
References
- ^ .
- S2CID 14647602.
- ^ Philip Russell Wallace at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- ^ Wallace, P. R. (2000). "Atomic Energy in Canada:Personal Recollections of the Wartime Years". Physics in Canada. Mar/Apr 2000: 123–131.
- ^ Wallace, P. R. (1993). "The beginnings of theoretical physics in Canada". Physics in Canada. Nov 1993: 358–364.
- ISBN 978-0-12-607710-0.
- ^ Wallace, P. R., ed. (1969). Superconductivity. New York: Gordon and Breach.
- ^ Harris, R.; Wallace, P. R.; Zuckermann, M. J., eds. (1973). New Developments in Semiconductors. Leyden: Nordhoff International Publishing.
- ^ Wallace, P. R. (1984) [1972]. Mathematical Analysis of Physical Problems. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
- ^ Wallace, P. R. (1991). Physics: Imagination and Reality. Singapore: World Scientific.
- ^ Wallace, P. R. (1996). Paradox Lost: Images of the Quantum. New York: Springer.
- ^ Joós, Béla (2006). "In Memoriam: Philip Russell Wallace, 1915–2006". Physics in Canada. July/August 2006: 134.
- .