Kerson Huang
Encyclopedia
Kerson Huang (born in Nanning
, China
, 1928) is a Chinese-American theoretical physicist, who is currently Professor of Physics
Emeritus at MIT.
Huang grew up in Manila
, Philippines
. He obtained the B.Sc. (1950) and the Ph.D. (1953) in physics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. He joined the MIT faculty in 1957, after a stint at the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton. At MIT, he became an authority on statistical physics
, and worked on Bose-Einstein condensation and quantum field theory
. Since retiring in 1999, he has written on biophysics
. He is currently a visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University
, Singapore
.
Huang is best known to Chinese
readers as the translator of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám
. While a graduate student in physics, he adapted Edward Fitzgerald
's famous adaptation into classical Chinese verse. The book had been out of print for years, but was reprinted in Taiwan
in 1989. With his wife Rosemary, he translated I Ching
into English.
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, 1928) is a Chinese-American theoretical physicist, who is currently Professor of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Emeritus at MIT.
Huang grew up in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He obtained the B.Sc. (1950) and the Ph.D. (1953) in physics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He joined the MIT faculty in 1957, after a stint at the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton. At MIT, he became an authority on statistical physics
Statistical physics
Statistical physics is the branch of physics that uses methods of probability theory and statistics, and particularly the mathematical tools for dealing with large populations and approximations, in solving physical problems. It can describe a wide variety of fields with an inherently stochastic...
, and worked on Bose-Einstein condensation and quantum field theory
Quantum field theory
Quantum field theory provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized by an infinite number of dynamical degrees of freedom, that is, fields and many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and...
. Since retiring in 1999, he has written on biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
. He is currently a visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Huang is best known to Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
readers as the translator of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
. While a graduate student in physics, he adapted Edward Fitzgerald
Edward FitzGerald (poet)
Edward FitzGerald was an English writer, best known as the poet of the first and most famous English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The spelling of his name as both FitzGerald and Fitzgerald is seen...
's famous adaptation into classical Chinese verse. The book had been out of print for years, but was reprinted in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1989. With his wife Rosemary, he translated I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
into English.
Books
- 2007. Fundamental Forces of Nature: The Story of Gauge Fields. World Scientific. Aimed at educated lay readers.
- 2005. Lectures on Statistical Physics and Protein Folding. World Scientific. ISBN 981-256-143-9
- 2001. Introduction to Statistical Physics. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-7484-0941-6
- 1998. Quantum Field Theory: From Operators to Path Integrals. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14120-8
- 1992. Quarks, Leptons and Gauge Fields, 2nd ed. World Scientific. ISBN 981-02-0659-3
- 1987. Statistical Mechanics, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons.
- 1984. I Ching, the Oracle. World Scientific. ISBN 9971-966-25-5