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P. R. Wallace

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255:'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. 284:
encouraged on their paths by Wallace's course. A text based on his notes was finally published in 1973. 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.
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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
275:, particularly their behaviour under intense magnetic fields, with regular returns to properties of graphite. In addition to summer school proceedings, in 1969 he edited two volumes on superconductivity and in 1973 he co-edited a volume on new developments in semiconductors. 312:
in Montreal, 1984–1987. In the 1990s he began writing semi-popular books explaining physics to the layperson, "Physics: Imagination and Reality" and "Paradox Lost: Images of the Quantum". He died on March 20, 2006, in Victoria, British Columbia of complications of old age.
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and Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (India). He had a distinguished career as educator, researcher, and activist in science and society, but he is increasingly well known for his pioneering paper in 1947 on the band structure of
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in Bristol, England for several months to learn what was known about graphite led Wallace to a lifelong interest in graphite and a career in condensed matter physics, not least his 1947 paper on the band structure of graphite.
300:, 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. 209:. 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 225:
on nuclear reactor fundamentals, including study of the effects on graphite and other materials of intense neutron and ion bombardment. His assignment to visit
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Initially working in nuclear physics and properties of graphite, in the mid-1950s Wallace turned his attention to the newly discovered
703: 508: 217:. In 1943 he was recruited to join the British-Canadian Atomic Energy Project at the National Research Council of Canada's 267:
in solids and liquids. In 1960 he published what became a standard reference in the field. His later research focused on
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and began to build a group of young theoretical physicists there. The anomaly, at least in North America, of theoretical
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When the Montreal effort moved to the Chalk River site in 1946, Wallace joined the Mathematics Department at
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Retiring as Professor Emeritus in Physics in 1982, Wallace soon became Principal of the Science College,
221:. From 1943 to 1946 Wallace worked as one of an impressive group of theorists and mathematicians led by 71: 296:
and founder and first chair of its Theoretical Physics Division, 1957–58. He served as Editor of the
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Wallace, P. R. (2000). "Atomic Energy in Canada:Personal Recollections of the Wartime Years".
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in the Math department, not in Physics, had historic roots at McGill, dating from
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in 1933, achieving a B.A. in mathematics in 1937, an M.A. in 1938, and a Ph.D. in
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Wallace, P. R. (1993). "The beginnings of theoretical physics in Canada".
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Wallace, P. R. (1960). "Positron Annihilation in Solids and Liquids".
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Joós, Béla (2006). "In Memoriam: Philip Russell Wallace, 1915–2006".
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Wallace was active in professional affairs, a co-founder of the
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Geim, A. K.; Novoselov, K. S. (2007). "The Rise of Graphene".
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Harris, R.; Wallace, P. R.; Zuckermann, M. J., eds. (1973).
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Wallace, P. R. (1947). "The Band Theory of Graphite".
233: 177:, the subject of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. 660: 583: 568: 553: 523: 486: 471: 456: 345: 238: 543:. Leyden: Nordhoff International Publishing. 598: 556:Mathematical Analysis of Physical Problems 287: 180: 124:Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France 26: 646: 394: 278: 153:(April 19, 1915 – March 20, 2006) was a 558:. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 341: 339: 684:Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada 661: 151:P. R. (Philip Russell; "Phil") Wallace 336: 694:Academic staff of McGill University 586:Paradox Lost: Images of the Quantum 213:and then moved to a lectureship at 13: 541:New Developments in Semiconductors 294:Canadian Association of Physicists 14: 715: 571:Physics: Imagination and Reality 234:Academic and professional career 607: 592: 577: 562: 573:. Singapore: World Scientific. 547: 532: 528:. New York: Gordon and Breach. 517: 480: 465: 450: 435: 374: 1: 501:10.1016/S0081-1947(08)60700-6 446:Mathematics Genealogy Project 329: 303: 189:in 1915, Wallace entered the 704:University of Toronto alumni 621:; Lam, H. C. S. (Sep 2006). 524:Wallace, P. R., ed. (1969). 7: 298:Canadian Journal of Physics 258: 239:From mathematics to physics 160:and long-time professor at 10: 720: 72:Victoria, British Columbia 164:. He was a Fellow of the 144: 132: 106: 96: 89: 79: 60: 34: 25: 18: 689:Manhattan Project people 623:"Philip Russell Wallace" 603:. July/August 2006: 134. 554:Wallace, P. R. (1984) . 461:. Mar/Apr 2000: 123–131. 211:University of Cincinnati 111:University of Cincinnati 699:Scientists from Toronto 584:Wallace, P. R. (1996). 569:Wallace, P. R. (1991). 288:Professional activities 181:Early and wartime years 166:Royal Society of Canada 442:Philip Russell Wallace 368:10.1103/PhysRev.71.622 279:Teaching and mentoring 588:. New York: Springer. 316:Obituaries appear in 265:positron annihilation 191:University of Toronto 158:theoretical physicist 84:University of Toronto 476:. Nov 1993: 358–364. 310:Concordia University 127:Concordia University 679:Canadian physicists 639:2006PhT....59i..78G 489:Solid State Physics 405:2007NatMa...6..183G 360:1947PhRv...71..622W 219:Montreal Laboratory 195:applied mathematics 173:, and particularly 101:Theoretical physics 207:general relativity 648:10.1063/1.2364256 601:Physics in Canada 526:Superconductivity 510:978-0-12-607710-0 474:Physics in Canada 459:Physics in Canada 318:Physics in Canada 253:Ernest Rutherford 245:McGill University 201:with a thesis on 162:McGill University 148: 147: 121:McGill University 91:Scientific career 711: 653: 652: 650: 611: 605: 604: 596: 590: 589: 581: 575: 574: 566: 560: 559: 551: 545: 544: 536: 530: 529: 521: 515: 514: 484: 478: 477: 469: 463: 462: 454: 448: 439: 433: 432: 413:10.1038/nmat1849 398: 396:cond-mat/0702595 383:Nature Materials 378: 372: 371: 343: 203:electromagnetism 134:Doctoral advisor 67: 44: 42: 30: 16: 15: 719: 718: 714: 713: 712: 710: 709: 708: 659: 658: 657: 656: 612: 608: 597: 593: 582: 578: 567: 563: 552: 548: 537: 533: 522: 518: 511: 485: 481: 470: 466: 455: 451: 440: 436: 379: 375: 348:Physical Review 344: 337: 332: 306: 290: 281: 261: 241: 236: 183: 125: 123: 119: 117: 113: 80:Alma mater 75: 69: 65: 56: 46: 40: 38: 21: 12: 11: 5: 717: 707: 706: 701: 696: 691: 686: 681: 676: 671: 655: 654: 619:Jackson, J. 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R. Wallace 17: 630: 626: 609: 600: 594: 585: 579: 570: 564: 555: 549: 540: 534: 525: 519: 492: 488: 482: 473: 467: 458: 452: 437: 386: 382: 376: 351: 347: 321: 317: 315: 307: 297: 291: 282: 262: 248: 242: 184: 150: 149: 107:Institutions 90: 66:(2006-03-20) 674:2006 deaths 669:1915 births 663:Categories 330:References 304:Retirement 273:semimetals 249:physicists 227:N. F. Mott 41:1915-04-19 633:(9): 78. 118:NRC (Can) 495:: 1–69. 429:14647602 421:17330084 259:Research 185:Born in 175:graphene 171:graphite 155:Canadian 74:, Canada 55:, Canada 635:Bibcode 444:at the 401:Bibcode 356:Bibcode 187:Toronto 53:Ontario 49:Toronto 507:  427:  419:  97:Fields 425:S2CID 391:arXiv 505:ISBN 417:PMID 320:and 271:and 61:Died 35:Born 643:doi 497:doi 409:doi 364:doi 215:MIT 205:in 115:MIT 665:: 641:. 631:59 629:. 625:. 617:; 503:. 493:10 491:. 423:. 415:. 407:. 399:. 385:. 362:. 352:71 350:. 338:^ 326:. 51:, 651:. 645:: 637:: 513:. 499:: 431:. 411:: 403:: 393:: 387:6 370:. 366:: 358:: 43:) 39:(

Index


Toronto
Ontario
Victoria, British Columbia
University of Toronto
Theoretical physics
University of Cincinnati
MIT
McGill University
Concordia University
Doctoral advisor
Leopold Infeld
Canadian
theoretical physicist
McGill University
Royal Society of Canada
graphite
graphene
Toronto
University of Toronto
applied mathematics
Leopold Infeld
electromagnetism
general relativity
University of Cincinnati
MIT
Montreal Laboratory
George Placzek
N. F. Mott
McGill University

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