Application Quote by Paul Dirac
“The underlying physical laws necessary for the mathematical theory of a large part of physics and the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and the difficulty is only that the exact application of these laws leads to equations much too complicated to be soluble. It therefore becomes desirable that approximate practical methods of applying quantum mechanics should be developed, which can lead to an explanation of the main features of complex atomic systems without too much computation.”
About This Quote
Source Paper: The Principles of Quantum Mechanics, 1930
Exact quantum equations are too complex for many systems, so practical approximations are needed.
In simple terms: Exact equations are unsolvable; approximations help.
Key Takeaway
Use approximations to model complex systems.
Themes
physics
chemistry
theory
approximation
computation
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
scientific
technical
When to use this quote
- chemical reactions
- material design
- nanotechnology
- computational chemistry
Key Concepts
quantum mechanics
complexity
modeling
Questions to Reflect On
- What trade‑offs are acceptable in modeling?
- When do approximations become unreliable?
A Different Perspective
Approximations may miss subtle effects.
![“When [Erwin Schrödinger] went to the Solvay conferences in Brussels, he would walk from the station to the hotel where the delegates stayed, carrying all his luggage in a rucksack and looking so like a tramp that it needed a great deal of argument at the reception desk before he could claim a room.” quote by Paul Dirac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c4/paul-dirac-13270_argument_when-erwin-schr-dinger-went-to-the-solva_191459.jpg)
