Paul Ehrenfest

(1880–1933) Physicist

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Paul Ehrenfest was a physicist, best known for The conceptual foundations of the statistical approach in mechanics.

Quick Facts About Paul Ehrenfest

Born: January 18, 1880
Died: September 25, 1933
Profession: Physicist
Notable works: The conceptual foundations of the statistical approach in mechanics

About Paul Ehrenfest

Paul Ehrenfest was an Austrian theoretical physicist who made major contributions to statistical mechanics and its relation to quantum mechanics, including the theory of phase transition and the Ehrenfest theorem. He befriended Albert Einstein on a visit to Prague in 1912 and became a professor in Leiden, where he frequently hosted Einstein. Suffering from depression, in 1933 Ehrenfest killed his disabled son, Wassik, and then himself.

Biography source: Wikipedia