Henri Poincare The Present and The Future of Mathematical Physics 1906英文电子书.pdf

BULLETIN (New Series) OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Volurrle 37, Nurnber 1,Page3 25-38 S 0273-0979(99)00801-0 Article electronically published on December 21, 1999 THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS What is the present state of mathematical physics? What are its problems? What is its future? Is it about to change its orientation? Will the object and methods of this science appear in ten years to our immediate successors in the same light as they appear to us? Or are we to witness a far-reaching transformation? These are the questions we are forced to face to-day at the outset of our inquiry. It is easy to ask; difficult to answer. If we felt tempted to hazard a prediction, we should easily resist this temptation by stopping to think of the nonsense the most eminent scholars of a hundred years ago would have spoken in answer to the question of what this science would be in the nineteenth century. They would have thought themselves bold in their predictions; and after the event how timid we should have found them! Do not expect of me therefore any kind of prophesy. But if, like all prudent physicians, I refuse to give a prognosis, still I cannot deny myself a little diagnosis. Well, then, yes; there are symptoms of a serious crisis, which would seen1to indicate that we may expect presently a transformation. However, there is no cause for great anxiety. We are assured that the patient will 1101die, and indeed we 1iia.y hope llial lliis crisis will be salulary, since llie hislory of the past would seem to insure that. In fact, this crisis is not the first, and in order to understand it it is well to recall those which have gone before. Allow me a brief hist