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{{Short description|Indian-American theoretical physicist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
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| work_institution  = [[University of Texas at Austin]]<br>[[Indian Institute of Science]]<br>[[Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai]] <br>[[Harvard University]]<br>[[University of Rochester]] <br>[[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
| work_institution  = [[University of Texas at Austin]]<br>[[Indian Institute of Science]]<br>[[Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai]] <br>[[Harvard University]]<br>[[University of Rochester]] <br>[[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
| prizes            = {{ublist|2010&nbsp;[[Dirac Medal of the ICTP|ICTP Dirac Medal]] |2007&nbsp;[[Padma Vibhushan]] |2006&nbsp;[[Majorana Prize]] |1985&nbsp;[[TWAS Prize]] |1977&nbsp;Bose Medal |1976&nbsp;[[Padma Bhushan]] |1970&nbsp;C. V. Raman Award}}
| prizes            = {{ublist|2010&nbsp;[[Dirac Medal of the ICTP|ICTP Dirac Medal]] |2007&nbsp;[[Padma Vibhushan]] |2006&nbsp;[[Majorana Prize]] |1985&nbsp;[[TWAS Prize]] |1977&nbsp;Bose Medal |1976&nbsp;[[Padma Bhushan]] |1970&nbsp;C. V. Raman Award}}
| spouse            = {{marriage|Lalita Rau|1954|1990}}<br />{{marriage|Bhamathi Gopalakrishnan|1990}}
| children          = 3
|mother = Achamma<ref name="Bhamathi2021"/>
|father = Ipe Chandy<ref name="Bhamathi2021"/>
}}
}}
'''Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan''' (also known as '''E. C. G. Sudarshan'''; 16 September 1931 &ndash; 14 May 2018)<ref>{{cite news | url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/acclaimed-scientist-ecg-sudarshan-passes-away-in-texas-physicist-1.2809679 | title=Acclaimed scientist ECG Sudarshan passes away in Texas | date=14 May 2018 | newspaper=Mathrubhumi | access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> was an Indian-American theoretical [[physicist]] and a professor at the [[University of Texas]]. Sudarshan has been credited with numerous contributions to the field of theoretical physics, including [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation]], [[V-A theory]], [[tachyon]]s, [[quantum Zeno effect]], [[open quantum system]] and [[Lindblad equation]], [[spin–statistics theorem]], non-invariance groups, positive maps of density matrices, and quantum computation. His other contributions include east–west relations, and the philosophy and religion.
'''Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan''' (also known as '''E. C. G. Sudarshan'''; 16 September 1931 &ndash; 13 May 2018)<ref name="Bhamathi2021">{{cite journal
| last = Bhamathi
| first = Gopalakrishnan
| title = George Sudarshan: Perspectives and Legacy
| journal = Quanta
| volume = 10
| issue =
| pages = 75-104
| year = 2021
| doi = 10.12743/quanta.v10i1.174
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/acclaimed-scientist-ecg-sudarshan-passes-away-in-texas-physicist-1.2809679 | title=Acclaimed scientist ECG Sudarshan passes away in Texas | date=14 May 2018 | newspaper=Mathrubhumi | access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> was an Indian-American theoretical [[physicist]] and a professor at the [[University of Texas]]. Sudarshan has been credited with numerous contributions to the field of theoretical physics, including [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation]], [[V-A theory]], [[tachyon]]s, [[quantum Zeno effect]], [[open quantum system]] and [[Lindblad equation]], [[spin–statistics theorem]], non-invariance groups, positive maps of density matrices, and quantum computation.  


==Early life==
==Early life==
Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan was born in [[Pallom]], [[Kottayam]], [[Travancore]], [[ British India]]. He was raised in a [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christian family]], but later left the religion. <\ref> He married Lalita and they have three sons, Alexander, Arvind (deceased) and Ashok.<\ref>{{cite book|title=Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay_666|url-access=limited|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415257664|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay_666/page/n255 243]|editor=W. Mark Richardson|chapter=George Sudarshan|quote=I was born in an Orthodox Christian family. I was very deeply immersed in it, and so by the age of seven I had read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation two or three times. I was not quite satisfied with Christianity, and gradually I got more and more involved with traditional Indian ideas.}} He mentioned disagreements with the Church's view on God and lack of spiritual experience as reasons why he left Christianity.<ref>{{cite book|title=Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay|url-access=limited|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415257664|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay/page/n255 243]|editor=W. Mark Richardson|chapter=George Sudarshan|quote=PC: "Did your training as a scientist contribute at all to your growing dissatisfaction with the church?" GS: "No. It was simply that I found that the people who professed to practice were really not practicing. In other words, there was a great deal of show and not that much genuine spiritual experience. Further, a God “out there” did not fully satisfy me."}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay|url-access=limited|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415257664|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencespiritual00clay/page/n262 250]|editor=W. Mark Richardson|chapter=George Sudarshan|quote=God is not an isolated event, something separate from the universe. God is the universe.}}</ref>
Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan was born in [[Pallom]], [[Kottayam]], [[Travancore]], [[ British India]]. He was raised in a [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christian family]], but later left the religion.{{r|Clayton-2002|p=243|quote =I was born in an Orthodox Christian family. I was very deeply immersed in it, and so by the age of seven I had read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation two or three times. I was not quite satisfied with Christianity, and gradually I got more and more involved with traditional Indian ideas.}}{{r|Clayton-2002|p=243|quote =PC: Did your training as a scientist contribute at all to your growing dissatisfaction with the church?
GS: No. It was simply that I found that the people who professed to practice were really not practicing. In other words, there was a great deal of show and not that much genuine spiritual experience. Further, a God "out there" did not fully satisfy me.}}{{r|Clayton-2002|p=250|quote =God is not an isolated event, something separate from the universe. God is the universe.}} He married Lalita Rau on December 20, 1954 and they have three sons, Alexander, Arvind (deceased) and Ashok.<ref name="utphysicshistory"/> George and Lalita were divorced in 1990 and he married Bhamathi Gopalakrishnan in Austin, Texas.<ref name="utphysicshistory"/>


He studied at [[CMS College Kottayam]],<ref name=Ht>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070556000300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802160931/http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070556000300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2008|title=A proud moment for CMS College: Prof. Sudarshan delights all at his alma mater |date=5 July 2008|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=5 April 2010}}</ref> and graduated with honors from the [[Madras Christian College]] in 1951. He obtained his [[master's degree]] at the [[University of Madras]] in 1952. He moved to [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] (TIFR) and worked there for a brief period with [[Homi J. Bhabha|Homi Bhabha]] as well as others. Subsequently, he moved to [[University of Rochester]] in [[New York (state)|New York]] to work under [[Robert Marshak]] as a graduate student. In 1958, he received his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree from the University of Rochester. At this point he moved to [[Harvard University]] to join [[Julian Schwinger]] as a postdoctoral fellow.
He studied at [[CMS College Kottayam]],<ref name=Ht>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070556000300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802160931/http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070556000300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2008|title=A proud moment for CMS College: Prof. Sudarshan delights all at his alma mater |date=5 July 2008|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=5 April 2010}}</ref> and graduated with honors from the [[Madras Christian College]] in 1951. He obtained his [[master's degree]] at the [[University of Madras]] in 1952. He moved to [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] (TIFR) and worked there for a brief period with [[Homi J. Bhabha|Homi Bhabha]] as well as others. Subsequently, he moved to [[University of Rochester]] in [[New York (state)|New York]] to work under [[Robert Marshak]] as a graduate student. In 1958, he received his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree from the University of Rochester. At this point he moved to [[Harvard University]] to join [[Julian Schwinger]] as a postdoctoral fellow.
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==Career==
==Career==
Sudarshan made significant contributions to several areas of physics. He was the originator (with [[Robert Marshak]]) of the V-A theory of the [[weak force]] (later propagated by [[Richard Feynman]] and [[Murray Gell-Mann]]), which eventually paved the way for the electroweak theory. Feynman acknowledged Sudarshan's contribution in 1963 stating that the V-A theory was discovered by Sudarshan and Marshak and publicized by Gell-Mann and himself.<ref>''The beat of a different drum: The life and science of Richard Feynman'' by J. Mehra Clarendon Press Oxford (1994), p. 477, and references 29 and 40 therein</ref> He also developed a [[quantum]] representation of [[coherent light]] later known as [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation|Glauber–Sudarshan representation]] (for which controversially Glauber was awarded the 2005 Nobel prize in Physics ignoring Sudarshan's contributions).
Sudarshan made significant contributions to several areas of physics. He was the originator (with [[Robert Marshak]]) of the V-A theory of the [[weak force]] (later propagated by [[Richard Feynman]] and [[Murray Gell-Mann]]), which eventually paved the way for the electroweak theory. Feynman acknowledged Sudarshan's contribution in 1963 stating that the V-A theory was discovered by Sudarshan and Marshak and publicized by Gell-Mann and himself.<ref>''The beat of a different drum: The life and science of Richard Feynman'' by J. Mehra Clarendon Press Oxford (1994), p. 477, and references 29 and 40 therein</ref> He also developed a [[quantum]] representation of [[coherent light]] later known as [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation|Glauber–Sudarshan representation]] (for which controversially Glauber was awarded the 2005 Nobel prize in Physics ignoring Sudarshan's contributions).
 
[[File:ECG Weinberg.jpg|thumb|alt=George Sudarshan and Steven Weinberg at Austin.|George Sudarshan and Steven Weinberg at Austin.]]
Sudarshan's most significant work may have been his contribution to the field of [[quantum optics]]. His theorem proves the equivalence of classical wave optics to quantum optics. The theorem makes use of the Sudarshan representation. This representation also predicts optical effects that are purely quantum, and cannot be explained classically. Sudarshan was also the first to propose the existence of [[tachyon]]s, particles that travel faster than light.<ref>''Time Machines: Time Travel in Physics, Metaphysics, and Science Fiction'', p. 346, by [[Paul J. Nahin]]</ref> He developed a fundamental formalism called dynamical maps to study the theory of [[open quantum system]]. He, in collaboration with Baidyanath Misra, also proposed the [[quantum Zeno effect]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Sudarshan | first1 = E. C. G. | last2 = Misra | first2 = B. | title = The Zeno's paradox in quantum theory | journal = Journal of Mathematical Physics | volume = 18 | issue = 4 | pages = 756–763 |year=1977 |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/51139/1/211-pub.pdf| doi = 10.1063/1.523304| bibcode=1977JMP....18..756M}}</ref>
Sudarshan's most significant work may have been his contribution to the field of [[quantum optics]]. His theorem proves the equivalence of classical wave optics to quantum optics. The theorem makes use of the Sudarshan representation. This representation also predicts optical effects that are purely quantum, and cannot be explained classically. Sudarshan was also the first to propose the existence of [[tachyon]]s, particles that travel faster than light.<ref>''Time Machines: Time Travel in Physics, Metaphysics, and Science Fiction'', p. 346, by [[Paul J. Nahin]]</ref> He developed a fundamental formalism called dynamical maps to study the theory of [[open quantum system]]. He, in collaboration with Baidyanath Misra, also proposed the [[quantum Zeno effect]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Sudarshan | first1 = E. C. G. | last2 = Misra | first2 = B. | title = The Zeno's paradox in quantum theory | journal = Journal of Mathematical Physics | volume = 18 | issue = 4 | pages = 756–763 |year=1977 |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/51139/1/211-pub.pdf| doi = 10.1063/1.523304| bibcode=1977JMP....18..756M}}</ref>


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==Controversy regarding Nobel Prize==
==Controversy regarding Nobel Prize==
Sudarshan began working on quantum optics at the University of Rochester in 1960. Two years later, Glauber criticized the use of classical electromagnetic theory in explaining optical fields, which surprised Sudarshan because he believed the theory provided accurate explanations. Sudarshan subsequently wrote a paper expressing his ideas and sent a preprint to Glauber. Glauber informed Sudarshan of similar results and asked to be acknowledged in the latter's paper, while criticizing Sudarshan in his own paper.<ref name="Physicist Sudarshan's omission questioned">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/02/stories/2005120206181100.htm |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |title=Physicist Sudarshan's omission questioned |date=2 December 2005 }}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> "Glauber criticized Sudarshan’s representation, but his own was unable to generate any of the typical quantum optics phenomena, hence he introduces what he calls a P-representation, which was Sudarshan’s representation by another name", wrote a physicist. "This representation, which had at first been scorned by Glauber, later becomes known as the [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation|Glauber–Sudarshan representation]]."<ref name="ECG Sudarshan, physicist who proposed faster than light theory, dies at 86">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/science/ecg-sudarshan-physicist-who-proposed-faster-than-light-theory-dies-at-86/story-STfgrT2o5xC2tC7olCFS0I.html |title=ECG Sudarshan, physicist who proposed faster than light theory, dies at 86 |date=14 May 2018 |website=www.hindustantimes.com |language=en |access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref>
Sudarshan began working on quantum optics at the University of Rochester in 1960. Two years later, Glauber criticized the use of classical electromagnetic theory in explaining optical fields, which surprised Sudarshan because he believed the theory provided accurate explanations. Sudarshan subsequently wrote a paper expressing his ideas<ref name="Sudarshan1963">{{cite journal
| last = Sudarshan
| first = Ennackal Chandy George
| title = Equivalence of semiclassical and quantum mechanical descriptions of statistical light beams
| journal = Physical Review Letters
| volume = 10
| issue = 7
| pages = 277-279
| year = 1963
| doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.10.277
}}</ref> and sent a preprint to Glauber. Glauber informed Sudarshan of similar results and asked to be acknowledged in the latter's paper, while criticizing Sudarshan in his own paper.<ref name="Physicist Sudarshan's omission questioned">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/02/stories/2005120206181100.htm |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |title=Physicist Sudarshan's omission questioned |date=2 December 2005 }}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> "Glauber criticized Sudarshan’s representation, but his own was unable to generate any of the typical quantum optics phenomena, hence he introduces what he calls a P-representation, which was Sudarshan’s representation by another name", wrote a physicist. "This representation, which had at first been scorned by Glauber, later becomes known as the [[Glauber–Sudarshan P representation|Glauber–Sudarshan representation]]."<ref name="ECG Sudarshan, physicist who proposed faster than light theory, dies at 86">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/science/ecg-sudarshan-physicist-who-proposed-faster-than-light-theory-dies-at-86/story-STfgrT2o5xC2tC7olCFS0I.html |title=ECG Sudarshan, physicist who proposed faster than light theory, dies at 86 |date=14 May 2018 |website=www.hindustantimes.com |language=en |access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref>


Sudarshan was passed over for the Physics Nobel Prize on more than one occasion, leading to [[Nobel Prize controversies#Physics|controversy]] in 2005 when several physicists wrote to the Swedish Academy, protesting that Sudarshan should have been awarded a share of the Prize for the Sudarshan diagonal representation (also known as Glauber–Sudarshan representation) in quantum optics, for which [[Roy J. Glauber]] won his share of the prize.<ref>{{cite web | last = Zhou | first = Lulu | title = Scientists Question Nobel | work = The Harvard Crimson | date = 6 December 2005 | url = http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510342 | access-date = 22 February 2008}}</ref> Sudarshan and other physicists sent a letter to the Nobel Committee claiming that the P representation had more contributions of "Sudarshan" than "Glauber".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Epstein |first1=David |title=Nobel Doubts |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/12/07/nobel-doubts |access-date=26 February 2021 |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=December 7, 2005 |language=en}}</ref> The letter goes on to say that Glauber criticized Sudarshan's theory—before renaming it the "P representation" and incorporating it into his own work. In an unpublished letter to ''The New York Times'', Sudarshan calls the "Glauber–Sudarshan representation" a misnomer, adding that "literally all subsequent theoretic developments in the field of Quantum Optics make use of" Sudarshan's work— essentially, asserting that he had developed the breakthrough.<ref name="UT Austin Mourns Passing of George Sudarshan, Titan of 20th Century Physics">{{Cite web |url=https://cns.utexas.edu/news/ut-austin-mourns-passing-of-george-sudarshan-titan-of-20th-century-physics |title=UT Austin Mourns Passing of George Sudarshan, Titan of 20th Century Physics |date=20 December 2018 |website=cns.utexas.edu |language=en-gb |access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="First Runner-up">{{Cite web |url=http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/first_runner-up/ |title=First Runner-up |date=20 December 2018 |website=seedmagazine.com |access-date=20 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121806/http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/first_runner-up/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=unfit }}</ref>
Sudarshan was passed over for the Physics Nobel Prize on more than one occasion, leading to [[Nobel Prize controversies#Physics|controversy]] in 2005 when several physicists wrote to the Swedish Academy, protesting that Sudarshan should have been awarded a share of the Prize for the Sudarshan diagonal representation (also known as Glauber–Sudarshan representation) in quantum optics, for which [[Roy J. Glauber]] won his share of the prize.<ref>{{cite web | last = Zhou | first = Lulu | title = Scientists Question Nobel | work = The Harvard Crimson | date = 6 December 2005 | url = http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510342 | access-date = 22 February 2008 | archive-date = 4 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120204151327/http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/12/6/scientists-question-nobel-a-group-of/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> Sudarshan and other physicists sent a letter to the Nobel Committee claiming that the P representation had more contributions of "Sudarshan" than "Glauber".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Epstein |first1=David |title=Nobel Doubts |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/12/07/nobel-doubts |access-date=26 February 2021 |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=December 7, 2005 |language=en}}</ref> The letter goes on to say that Glauber criticized Sudarshan's theory—before renaming it the "P representation" and incorporating it into his own work. In an unpublished letter to ''The New York Times'', Sudarshan calls the "Glauber–Sudarshan representation" a misnomer, adding that "literally all subsequent theoretic developments in the field of Quantum Optics make use of" Sudarshan's work— essentially, asserting that he had developed the breakthrough.<ref name="UT Austin Mourns Passing of George Sudarshan, Titan of 20th Century Physics">{{Cite web |url=https://cns.utexas.edu/news/ut-austin-mourns-passing-of-george-sudarshan-titan-of-20th-century-physics |title=UT Austin Mourns Passing of George Sudarshan, Titan of 20th Century Physics |date=20 December 2018 |website=cns.utexas.edu |language=en-gb |access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="First Runner-up">{{Cite web |url=http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/first_runner-up/ |title=First Runner-up |date=20 December 2018 |website=seedmagazine.com |access-date=20 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121806/http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/first_runner-up/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=unfit }}</ref>


In 2007, Sudarshan told the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', "The 2005 Nobel prize for Physics was awarded for my work, but I wasn't the one to get it. Each one of the discoveries that this Nobel was given for work based on my research."<ref name="HT">{{cite news | last = Mehta | first = Neha | title = Physicist cries foul over Nobel miss | newspaper = [[Hindustan Times]] | date = 4 April 2007 | url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4430ef80-19e7-4a1f-93ab-f1861c2d5753& | access-date = 22 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080320234139/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4430ef80-19e7-4a1f-93ab-f1861c2d5753& | archive-date = 20 March 2008 }}</ref> Sudarshan also commented on not being selected for the 1979 Nobel, "Steven Weinberg, Sheldon Glashow and Abdus Salam built on work I had done as a 26-year-old student. If you give a prize for a building, shouldn’t the fellow who built the first floor be given the prize before those who built the second floor?"<ref name="HT"/>
In 2007, Sudarshan told the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', "The 2005 Nobel prize for Physics was awarded for my work, but I wasn't the one to get it. Each one of the discoveries that this Nobel was given for work based on my research."<ref name="HT">{{cite news | last = Mehta | first = Neha | title = Physicist cries foul over Nobel miss | newspaper = [[Hindustan Times]] | date = 4 April 2007 | url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4430ef80-19e7-4a1f-93ab-f1861c2d5753& | access-date = 22 February 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080320234139/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4430ef80-19e7-4a1f-93ab-f1861c2d5753& | archive-date = 20 March 2008 }}</ref> Sudarshan also commented on not being selected for the 1979 Nobel, "[[Steven Weinberg]], [[Sheldon Glashow]] and [[Abdus Salam]] built on work I had done as a 26-year-old student. If you give a prize for a building, shouldn’t the fellow who built the first floor be given the prize before those who built the second floor?"<ref name="HT"/>


==Awards==
==Awards==
Line 76: Line 102:


*[[Padma Bhushan#List of Awardees|Winners of Padma Bhushan]]
*[[Padma Bhushan#List of Awardees|Winners of Padma Bhushan]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}


==References==
==References==
*Phys. Rev. Lett. 10, 277-279 (1963)
{{Reflist|
refs=<ref name="Clayton-2002">{{cite book
| first = Philip
| last = Clayton
|editor-last1        = Richardson
|editor-first1        = W. Mark
|editor-last2        = Russell
|editor-first2        = Robert John
|editor-last3        = Clayton
|editor-first3        = Philip
|editor-last4        = Wegter-McNelly
|editor-first4        = Kirk
| chapter = George Sudarshan
| title = Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists
| publisher = Routledge
| location = London
| year = 2002
| isbn = 9780415257664
| url = https://www.routledge.com/9780415257671
| doi =
}}</ref>
<ref name="utphysicshistory">{{cite web
| title = Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan (September 16, 1931 – May 13, 2018)
| publisher = University of Texas
| location = Austin, Texas
| year = 2021
| access-date = 24 December 2021
| url = https://web2.ph.utexas.edu/utphysicshistory/GeorgeSudrshan.html
}}</ref>
}}


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 21:34, 27 June 2022


George Sudarshan
E. C. G. Sudarshan at TIFR Mumbai in 2009
Born(1931-09-16)16 September 1931
Pallam, Travancore, British India
Died13 May 2018(2018-05-13) (aged 86)[1]
Austin, Texas, United States
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materCMS College Kottayam
Madras Christian College
University of Madras
University of Rochester
Known forCoherent states
Optical equivalence theorem
Glauber–Sudarshan representation
GKSL equation
V-A theory
Tachyon
Quantum Zeno effect
Open quantum system
Spin–statistics theorem
Spouse(s)
Lalita Rau
(
m. 1954⁠–⁠1990)

Bhamathi Gopalakrishnan
​
(
m. 1990)
Children3
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsTheoretical physics
InstitutionsUniversity of Texas at Austin
Indian Institute of Science
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
Harvard University
University of Rochester
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Doctoral advisorRobert Marshak
Doctoral studentsMohammad Aslam Khan Khalil
Narasimhaiengar Mukunda

Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan (also known as E. C. G. Sudarshan; 16 September 1931 – 13 May 2018)[2][3] was an Indian-American theoretical physicist and a professor at the University of Texas. Sudarshan has been credited with numerous contributions to the field of theoretical physics, including Glauber–Sudarshan P representation, V-A theory, tachyons, quantum Zeno effect, open quantum system and Lindblad equation, spin–statistics theorem, non-invariance groups, positive maps of density matrices, and quantum computation.

Early life

Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan was born in Pallom, Kottayam, Travancore, British India. He was raised in a Syrian Christian family, but later left the religion.[4]:243[4]:243[4]:250 He married Lalita Rau on December 20, 1954 and they have three sons, Alexander, Arvind (deceased) and Ashok.[5] George and Lalita were divorced in 1990 and he married Bhamathi Gopalakrishnan in Austin, Texas.[5]

He studied at CMS College Kottayam,[6] and graduated with honors from the Madras Christian College in 1951. He obtained his master's degree at the University of Madras in 1952. He moved to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and worked there for a brief period with Homi Bhabha as well as others. Subsequently, he moved to University of Rochester in New York to work under Robert Marshak as a graduate student. In 1958, he received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Rochester. At this point he moved to Harvard University to join Julian Schwinger as a postdoctoral fellow.

Career

Sudarshan made significant contributions to several areas of physics. He was the originator (with Robert Marshak) of the V-A theory of the weak force (later propagated by Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann), which eventually paved the way for the electroweak theory. Feynman acknowledged Sudarshan's contribution in 1963 stating that the V-A theory was discovered by Sudarshan and Marshak and publicized by Gell-Mann and himself.[7] He also developed a quantum representation of coherent light later known as Glauber–Sudarshan representation (for which controversially Glauber was awarded the 2005 Nobel prize in Physics ignoring Sudarshan's contributions).

George Sudarshan and Steven Weinberg at Austin.
George Sudarshan and Steven Weinberg at Austin.

Sudarshan's most significant work may have been his contribution to the field of quantum optics. His theorem proves the equivalence of classical wave optics to quantum optics. The theorem makes use of the Sudarshan representation. This representation also predicts optical effects that are purely quantum, and cannot be explained classically. Sudarshan was also the first to propose the existence of tachyons, particles that travel faster than light.[8] He developed a fundamental formalism called dynamical maps to study the theory of open quantum system. He, in collaboration with Baidyanath Misra, also proposed the quantum Zeno effect.[9]

Sudarshan and collaborators initiated the "Quantum theory of charged-particle beam optics", by working out the focusing action of a magnetic quadrupole using the Dirac equation.[10][11]

He taught at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), University of Rochester, Syracuse University,[12] and Harvard. From 1969 onwards, he was a professor of Physics at The University of Texas at Austin and a senior professor at the Indian Institute of Science. He worked as the director of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, India, for five years during the 1980s dividing his time between India and USA. During his tenure, he transformed it into a centre of excellence. He also met and held many discussions with philosopher J. Krishnamurti. He was felicitated on his 80th birthday, at IMSc Chennai[13] on 16 September 2011. His areas of interest included elementary particle physics, quantum optics, quantum information, quantum field theory, gauge field theories, classical mechanics and foundations of physics. He was also deeply interested in Vedanta, on which he lectured frequently.

Controversy regarding Nobel Prize

Sudarshan began working on quantum optics at the University of Rochester in 1960. Two years later, Glauber criticized the use of classical electromagnetic theory in explaining optical fields, which surprised Sudarshan because he believed the theory provided accurate explanations. Sudarshan subsequently wrote a paper expressing his ideas[14] and sent a preprint to Glauber. Glauber informed Sudarshan of similar results and asked to be acknowledged in the latter's paper, while criticizing Sudarshan in his own paper.[15] "Glauber criticized Sudarshan’s representation, but his own was unable to generate any of the typical quantum optics phenomena, hence he introduces what he calls a P-representation, which was Sudarshan’s representation by another name", wrote a physicist. "This representation, which had at first been scorned by Glauber, later becomes known as the Glauber–Sudarshan representation."[16]

Sudarshan was passed over for the Physics Nobel Prize on more than one occasion, leading to controversy in 2005 when several physicists wrote to the Swedish Academy, protesting that Sudarshan should have been awarded a share of the Prize for the Sudarshan diagonal representation (also known as Glauber–Sudarshan representation) in quantum optics, for which Roy J. Glauber won his share of the prize.[17] Sudarshan and other physicists sent a letter to the Nobel Committee claiming that the P representation had more contributions of "Sudarshan" than "Glauber".[18] The letter goes on to say that Glauber criticized Sudarshan's theory—before renaming it the "P representation" and incorporating it into his own work. In an unpublished letter to The New York Times, Sudarshan calls the "Glauber–Sudarshan representation" a misnomer, adding that "literally all subsequent theoretic developments in the field of Quantum Optics make use of" Sudarshan's work— essentially, asserting that he had developed the breakthrough.[19][20]

In 2007, Sudarshan told the Hindustan Times, "The 2005 Nobel prize for Physics was awarded for my work, but I wasn't the one to get it. Each one of the discoveries that this Nobel was given for work based on my research."[21] Sudarshan also commented on not being selected for the 1979 Nobel, "Steven Weinberg, Sheldon Glashow and Abdus Salam built on work I had done as a 26-year-old student. If you give a prize for a building, shouldn’t the fellow who built the first floor be given the prize before those who built the second floor?"[21]

Awards

Books

  • 1961: (with Robert Marshak) Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics, Interscience Publishers, Google Books snippet view
  • 1968: (with John R. Klauder) Fundamentals of Quantum Optics, Dover Books ISBN 0486450082 Google Books preview of 2006 edition
  • 1974: (with N. Mukunda) Classical Dynamics: a modern perspective, World Scientific ISBN 9814730017 Google Books preview of 2015 edition
  • 1998: (with Ian Duck) Pauli and the Spin–Statistics Theorem, World Scientific, ISBN 9814497452 Google Books preview
  • 1999: (with Tony Rothman) Doubt and Certainty: The celebrated academy debates on science, mysticism, and reality, Basic Books ISBN 0738201693
  • 2004: (with Giampiero Esposito and Giuseppe Marmo) From Classical to Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction to the Formalism, Foundations and Applications, Cambridge University Press ISBN 1139450549 Google Books preview
  • 2014: (with Giampiero Esposito, Giuseppe Marmo, and Gennaro Miele) Advanced Concepts in Quantum Mechanics, Cambridge University Press ISBN 9781107076044

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan September 16, 1931 - May 13, 2018". Beck Funeral Home. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bhamathi, Gopalakrishnan (2021). "George Sudarshan: Perspectives and Legacy". Quanta. 10: 75–104. doi:10.12743/quanta.v10i1.174.
  3. ↑ "Acclaimed scientist ECG Sudarshan passes away in Texas". Mathrubhumi. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Clayton, Philip (2002). "George Sudarshan". In Richardson, W. Mark; Russell, Robert John; Clayton, Philip; Wegter-McNelly, Kirk (eds.). Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415257664.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan (September 16, 1931 – May 13, 2018)". Austin, Texas: University of Texas. 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "A proud moment for CMS College: Prof. Sudarshan delights all at his alma mater". The Hindu. 5 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  7. ↑ The beat of a different drum: The life and science of Richard Feynman by J. Mehra Clarendon Press Oxford (1994), p. 477, and references 29 and 40 therein
  8. ↑ Time Machines: Time Travel in Physics, Metaphysics, and Science Fiction, p. 346, by Paul J. Nahin
  9. ↑ Sudarshan, E. C. G.; Misra, B. (1977). "The Zeno's paradox in quantum theory" (PDF). Journal of Mathematical Physics. 18 (4): 756–763. Bibcode:1977JMP....18..756M. doi:10.1063/1.523304.
  10. ↑ R. Jagannathan, R. Simon, E. C. G. Sudarshan and N. Mukunda, Quantum theory of magnetic electron lenses based on the Dirac equation, Physics Letters A, 134, 457–464 (1989).
  11. ↑ R. Jagannathan and S. A. Khan, Quantum theory of the optics of charged particles, Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics, Editors: Peter W. Hawkes, B. Kazan and T. Mulvey, (Academic Press, Logo, San Diego, 1996), Vol. 97, 257–358 (1996).
  12. ↑ Catterall, Simon; Hubisz, Jay; Balachandran, Aiyalam; Schechter, Joe (5 January 2013). "Elementary Particle Physics at Syracuse. Final Report". Syracuse University: 14. Retrieved 26 February 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ↑ "Sudarshan Fest" (PDF). 16 September 2011.
  14. ↑ Sudarshan, Ennackal Chandy George (1963). "Equivalence of semiclassical and quantum mechanical descriptions of statistical light beams". Physical Review Letters. 10 (7): 277–279. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.10.277.
  15. ↑ "Physicist Sudarshan's omission questioned". The Hindu. 2 December 2005.[dead link]
  16. ↑ "ECG Sudarshan, physicist who proposed faster than light theory, dies at 86". www.hindustantimes.com. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  17. ↑ Zhou, Lulu (6 December 2005). "Scientists Question Nobel". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  18. ↑ Epstein, David (7 December 2005). "Nobel Doubts". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "UT Austin Mourns Passing of George Sudarshan, Titan of 20th Century Physics". cns.utexas.edu. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "First Runner-up". seedmagazine.com. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Mehta, Neha (4 April 2007). "Physicist cries foul over Nobel miss". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 March 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  22. ↑ "KU to confer honorary doctorates on Narlikar, Kris Gopalakrishnan". The Hindu. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.

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