CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Theoretical physics - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"49fa8c5c-c92e-47b0-aa4e-c90e761b3798","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Theoretical_physics","wgTitle":"Theoretical physics","wgCurRevisionId":1257688589,"wgRevisionId":1257688589,"wgArticleId":19594028,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Webarchive template wayback links","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Theoretical physics"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Theoretical_physics","wgRelevantArticleId":19594028,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive" :false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":20000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q18362","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={ "ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","ext.math.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth", "ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.math.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1152"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg/800px-LorentzianWormhole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="768"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg/640px-LorentzianWormhole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="615"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Theoretical physics - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretical_physics"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretical_physics"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Theoretical_physics rootpage-Theoretical_physics skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Theoretical+physics" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Theoretical+physics" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Theoretical+physics" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Theoretical+physics" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Overview" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Overview"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Overview</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Overview-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Mainstream_theories" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mainstream_theories"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Mainstream theories</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Mainstream_theories-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Mainstream theories subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Mainstream_theories-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Examples" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Examples"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Examples</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Examples-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Proposed_theories" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Proposed_theories"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Proposed theories</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Proposed_theories-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Fringe_theories" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Fringe_theories"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Fringe theories</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Fringe_theories-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Fringe theories subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Fringe_theories-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Examples_2" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Examples_2"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Examples</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Examples_2-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Thought_experiments_vs_real_experiments" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Thought_experiments_vs_real_experiments"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Thought experiments vs real experiments</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Thought_experiments_vs_real_experiments-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Theoretical physics</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 76 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-76" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">76 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretiese_fisika" title="Teoretiese fisika – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Teoretiese fisika" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A1_%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9" title="فيزياء نظرية – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="فيزياء نظرية" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ADsica_te%C3%B3rica" title="Física teórica – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Física teórica" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C9%99z%C9%99ri_fizika" title="Nəzəri fizika – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Nəzəri fizika" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95_%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9E%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8" title="তাত্ত্বিক পদার্থবিজ্ঞান – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="তাত্ত্বিক পদার্থবিজ্ঞান" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-map-bms mw-list-item"><a href="https://map-bms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teori-teori_fisika" title="Teori-teori fisika – Banyumasan" lang="jv-x-bms" hreflang="jv-x-bms" data-title="Teori-teori fisika" data-language-autonym="Basa Banyumasan" data-language-local-name="Banyumasan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Basa Banyumasan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%8D%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8D%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%84%D1%96%D0%B7%D1%96%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Тэарэтычная фізіка – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Тэарэтычная фізіка" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be-x-old mw-list-item"><a href="https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%8D%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8D%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%84%D1%96%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Тэарэтычная фізыка – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" lang="be-tarask" hreflang="be-tarask" data-title="Тэарэтычная фізыка" data-language-autonym="Беларуская (тарашкевіца)" data-language-local-name="Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская (тарашкевіца)</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bh mw-list-item"><a href="https://bh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%80" title="सैद्धांतिक भौतिकी – Bhojpuri" lang="bh" hreflang="bh" data-title="सैद्धांतिक भौतिकी" data-language-autonym="भोजपुरी" data-language-local-name="Bhojpuri" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>भोजपुरी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теоретична физика – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Теоретична физика" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorijska_fizika" title="Teorijska fizika – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Teorijska fizika" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizik_teorikel" title="Fizik teorikel – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Fizik teorikel" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ADsica_te%C3%B2rica" title="Física teòrica – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Física teòrica" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cv mw-list-item"><a href="https://cv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B5_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теорилле физика – Chuvash" lang="cv" hreflang="cv" data-title="Теорилле физика" data-language-autonym="Чӑвашла" data-language-local-name="Chuvash" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Чӑвашла</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretick%C3%A1_fyzika" title="Teoretická fyzika – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Teoretická fyzika" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretisk_fysik" title="Teoretisk fysik – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Teoretisk fysik" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physik#Theoretische_Physik" title="Physik – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Physik" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoreetiline_f%C3%BC%C3%BCsika" title="Teoreetiline füüsika – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Teoreetiline füüsika" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%98%CE%B5%CF%89%CF%81%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE_%CF%86%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE" title="Θεωρητική φυσική – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Θεωρητική φυσική" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ADsica_te%C3%B3rica" title="Física teórica – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Física teórica" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoria_fiziko" title="Teoria fiziko – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Teoria fiziko" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisika_teoriko" title="Fisika teoriko – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Fisika teoriko" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C%DA%A9_%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1%DB%8C" title="فیزیک نظری – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="فیزیک نظری" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physique_th%C3%A9orique" title="Physique théorique – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Physique théorique" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fy mw-list-item"><a href="https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretyske_natuerkunde" title="Teoretyske natuerkunde – Western Frisian" lang="fy" hreflang="fy" data-title="Teoretyske natuerkunde" data-language-autonym="Frysk" data-language-local-name="Western Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Frysk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ADsica_te%C3%B3rica" title="Física teórica – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Física teórica" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%9D%B4%EB%A1%A0%EB%AC%BC%EB%A6%AC%ED%95%99" title="이론물리학 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="이론물리학" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%8F%D5%A5%D5%BD%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D6%86%D5%AB%D5%A6%D5%AB%D5%AF%D5%A1" title="Տեսական ֆիզիկա – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Տեսական ֆիզիկա" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%80" title="सैद्धान्तिक भौतिकी – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="सैद्धान्तिक भौतिकी" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorijska_fizika" title="Teorijska fizika – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Teorijska fizika" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisika_teori" title="Fisika teori – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Fisika teori" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ia mw-list-item"><a href="https://ia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physica_theoric" title="Physica theoric – Interlingua" lang="ia" hreflang="ia" data-title="Physica theoric" data-language-autonym="Interlingua" data-language-local-name="Interlingua" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Interlingua</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisica_teorica" title="Fisica teorica – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Fisica teorica" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%96%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%94_%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%99%D7%AA" title="פיזיקה תאורטית – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="פיזיקה תאורטית" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BB%D1%8B%D2%9B_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теориялық физика – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Теориялық физика" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ku mw-list-item"><a href="https://ku.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiz%C3%AEka_teor%C3%AEk" title="Fizîka teorîk – Kurdish" lang="ku" hreflang="ku" data-title="Fizîka teorîk" data-language-autonym="Kurdî" data-language-local-name="Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kurdî</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teor%C4%93tisk%C4%81_fizika" title="Teorētiskā fizika – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Teorētiskā fizika" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorin%C4%97_fizika" title="Teorinė fizika – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Teorinė fizika" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elm%C3%A9leti_fizika" title="Elméleti fizika – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Elméleti fizika" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теориска физика – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Теориска физика" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-xmf mw-list-item"><a href="https://xmf.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%97%E1%83%94%E1%83%9D%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98_%E1%83%A4%E1%83%98%E1%83%96%E1%83%98%E1%83%99%E1%83%90" title="თეორიული ფიზიკა – Mingrelian" lang="xmf" hreflang="xmf" data-title="თეორიული ფიზიკა" data-language-autonym="მარგალური" data-language-local-name="Mingrelian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>მარგალური</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizik_teori" title="Fizik teori – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Fizik teori" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%BD_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA" title="Онолын физик – Mongolian" lang="mn" hreflang="mn" data-title="Онолын физик" data-language-autonym="Монгол" data-language-local-name="Mongolian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Монгол</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretische_natuurkunde" title="Theoretische natuurkunde – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Theoretische natuurkunde" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%86%E8%AB%96%E7%89%A9%E7%90%86%E5%AD%A6" title="理論物理学 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="理論物理学" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretisk_fysikk" title="Teoretisk fysikk – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Teoretisk fysikk" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretisk_fysikk" title="Teoretisk fysikk – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Teoretisk fysikk" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%A7%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%82%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%95_%E0%A8%AD%E0%A9%8C%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%95_%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%97%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%86%E0%A8%A8" title="ਸਿਧਾਂਤਕ ਭੌਤਿਕ ਵਿਗਿਆਨ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਸਿਧਾਂਤਕ ਭੌਤਿਕ ਵਿਗਿਆਨ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%DA%BE%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%B9%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%84_%D9%81%D8%B2%DA%A9%D8%B3" title="تھیورٹیکل فزکس – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="تھیورٹیکل فزکس" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizyka_teoretyczna" title="Fizyka teoretyczna – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Fizyka teoretyczna" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ADsica_te%C3%B3rica" title="Física teórica – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Física teórica" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizic%C4%83_teoretic%C4%83" title="Fizică teoretică – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Fizică teoretică" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теоретическая физика – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Теоретическая физика" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sco mw-list-item"><a href="https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretical_physics" title="Theoretical physics – Scots" lang="sco" hreflang="sco" data-title="Theoretical physics" data-language-autonym="Scots" data-language-local-name="Scots" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Scots</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fizika_teorike" title="Fizika teorike – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Fizika teorike" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretick%C3%A1_fyzika" title="Teoretická fyzika – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Teoretická fyzika" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoreti%C4%8Dna_fizika" title="Teoretična fizika – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Teoretična fizika" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B2%DB%8C%DA%A9%DB%8C_%D8%AA%DB%8C%DB%86%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9" title="فیزیکی تیۆریک – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="فیزیکی تیۆریک" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorijska_fizika" title="Teorijska fizika – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Teorijska fizika" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorijska_fizika" title="Teorijska fizika – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Teorijska fizika" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-su mw-list-item"><a href="https://su.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisika_tioritis" title="Fisika tioritis – Sundanese" lang="su" hreflang="su" data-title="Fisika tioritis" data-language-autonym="Sunda" data-language-local-name="Sundanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Sunda</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoreettinen_fysiikka" title="Teoreettinen fysiikka – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Teoreettinen fysiikka" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoretisk_fysik" title="Teoretisk fysik – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Teoretisk fysik" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tl badge-Q70893996 mw-list-item" title=""><a href="https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisikang_teoretikal" title="Pisikang teoretikal – Tagalog" lang="tl" hreflang="tl" data-title="Pisikang teoretikal" data-language-autonym="Tagalog" data-language-local-name="Tagalog" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tagalog</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%81_%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D" title="கோட்பாட்டு இயற்பியல் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="கோட்பாட்டு இயற்பியல்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tt mw-list-item"><a href="https://tt.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA_%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теоретик физика – Tatar" lang="tt" hreflang="tt" data-title="Теоретик физика" data-language-autonym="Татарча / tatarça" data-language-local-name="Tatar" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Татарча / tatarça</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B9%8C%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%8E%E0%B8%B5" title="ฟิสิกส์ทฤษฎี – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ฟิสิกส์ทฤษฎี" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teorik_fizik" title="Teorik fizik – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Teorik fizik" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%84%D1%96%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Теоретична фізика – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Теоретична фізика" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C_%D8%B7%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA" title="نظریاتی طبیعیات – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="نظریاتی طبیعیات" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%E1%BA%ADt_l%C3%BD_l%C3%BD_thuy%E1%BA%BFt" title="Vật lý lý thuyết – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Vật lý lý thuyết" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-war mw-list-item"><a href="https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisika_teoretikal" title="Fisika teoretikal – Waray" lang="war" hreflang="war" data-title="Fisika teoretikal" data-language-autonym="Winaray" data-language-local-name="Waray" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Winaray</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%86%E8%AE%BA%E7%89%A9%E7%90%86%E5%AD%A6" title="理论物理学 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="理论物理学" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%86%E8%AB%96%E7%89%A9%E7%90%86%E5%AD%B8" title="理論物理學 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="理論物理學" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-diq mw-list-item"><a href="https://diq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiziko_teorik" title="Fiziko teorik – Zazaki" lang="diq" hreflang="diq" data-title="Fiziko teorik" data-language-autonym="Zazaki" data-language-local-name="Zazaki" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Zazaki</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%86%E8%AE%BA%E7%89%A9%E7%90%86%E5%AD%A6" title="理论物理学 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="理论物理学" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q18362#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Theoretical_physics" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Theoretical_physics" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Theoretical_physics"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Theoretical_physics"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Theoretical_physics" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Theoretical_physics" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&oldid=1257688589" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Theoretical_physics&id=1257688589&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTheoretical_physics"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTheoretical_physics"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Theoretical_physics&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Theoretical_physics" hreflang="en"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></a></li><li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikiversity mw-list-item"><a href="https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Theoretical_physics" hreflang="en"><span>Wikiversity</span></a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q18362" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Branch of physics</div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:LorentzianWormhole.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg/220px-LorentzianWormhole.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="211" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg/330px-LorentzianWormhole.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/LorentzianWormhole.jpg/440px-LorentzianWormhole.jpg 2x" data-file-width="881" data-file-height="846" /></a><figcaption>Visual representation of a <a href="/wiki/Wormhole#Schwarzschild_wormholes" title="Wormhole">Schwarzschild wormhole</a>. Wormholes have never been observed, but they are predicted to exist through <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_model" title="Mathematical model">mathematical models</a> and <a href="/wiki/Scientific_theory" title="Scientific theory">scientific theory</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p><b>Theoretical physics</b> is a branch of <a href="/wiki/Physics" title="Physics">physics</a> that employs <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_model" title="Mathematical model">mathematical models</a> and <a href="/wiki/Abstraction" title="Abstraction">abstractions</a> of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict <a href="/wiki/List_of_natural_phenomena" title="List of natural phenomena">natural phenomena</a>. This is in contrast to <a href="/wiki/Experimental_physics" title="Experimental physics">experimental physics</a>, which uses experimental tools to probe these phenomena. </p><p>The advancement of <a href="/wiki/Science" title="Science">science</a> generally depends on the interplay between <a href="/wiki/Experiment" title="Experiment">experimental</a> studies and <a href="/wiki/Theory" title="Theory">theory</a>. In some cases, theoretical physics adheres to standards of <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_rigour" class="mw-redirect" title="Mathematical rigour">mathematical rigour</a> while giving little weight to experiments and observations.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For example, while developing <a href="/wiki/Special_relativity" title="Special relativity">special relativity</a>, <a href="/wiki/Albert_Einstein" title="Albert Einstein">Albert Einstein</a> was concerned with the <a href="/wiki/Lorentz_transformation" title="Lorentz transformation">Lorentz transformation</a> which left <a href="/wiki/Maxwell%27s_equations" title="Maxwell's equations">Maxwell's equations</a> invariant, but was apparently uninterested in the <a href="/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment" title="Michelson–Morley experiment">Michelson–Morley experiment</a> on <a href="/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a>'s drift through a <a href="/wiki/Luminiferous_aether" title="Luminiferous aether">luminiferous aether</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Conversely, Einstein was awarded the <a href="/wiki/Nobel_Prize" title="Nobel Prize">Nobel Prize</a> for explaining the <a href="/wiki/Photoelectric_effect" title="Photoelectric effect">photoelectric effect</a>, previously an experimental result lacking a theoretical formulation.<sup id="cite_ref-Ref_s_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Ref_s-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Overview">Overview</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Overview"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A <b>physical theory</b> is a model of physical events. It is judged by the extent to which its predictions agree with empirical observations. The quality of a physical theory is also judged on its ability to make new predictions which can be verified by new observations. A physical theory differs from a <a href="/wiki/Theorem" title="Theorem">mathematical theorem</a> in that while both are based on some form of <a href="/wiki/Axiom" title="Axiom">axioms</a>, judgment of mathematical applicability is not based on agreement with any experimental results.<sup id="cite_ref-Nelson_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Nelson-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Chu_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Chu-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A physical theory similarly differs from a <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Mathematical theory">mathematical theory</a>, in the sense that the word "theory" has a different meaning in mathematical terms.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>b<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1023981488">@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .rquote{width:auto!important;float:none!important}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote rquote" style="float: right; width: 33%;"><p><span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \mathrm {Ric} =kg}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi mathvariant="normal">R</mi> <mi mathvariant="normal">i</mi> <mi mathvariant="normal">c</mi> </mrow> <mo>=</mo> <mi>k</mi> <mi>g</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \mathrm {Ric} =kg}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/05445d895d595f2308e7c66a332f8ae4b54d33aa" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.671ex; width:8.816ex; height:2.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \mathrm {Ric} =kg}"></span> <i>The equations for an <a href="/wiki/Einstein_manifold" title="Einstein manifold">Einstein manifold</a>, used in <a href="/wiki/General_relativity" title="General relativity">general relativity</a> to describe the curvature of <a href="/wiki/Spacetime" title="Spacetime">spacetime</a></i></p></blockquote> <p>A physical theory involves one or more relationships between various measurable quantities. <a href="/wiki/Archimedes" title="Archimedes">Archimedes</a> realized that a ship floats by displacing its mass of water, <a href="/wiki/Pythagoras" title="Pythagoras">Pythagoras</a> understood the relation between the length of a <a href="/wiki/Oscillation" title="Oscillation">vibrating</a> string and the musical tone it produces.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other examples include <a href="/wiki/Entropy" title="Entropy">entropy</a> as a measure of the uncertainty regarding the positions and <a href="/wiki/Motion_(physics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Motion (physics)">motions</a> of unseen <a href="/wiki/Molecule" title="Molecule">particles</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">quantum mechanical</a> idea that (<a href="/wiki/Action_(physics)" title="Action (physics)">action</a> and) <a href="/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a> are not continuously variable. </p><p>Theoretical physics consists of several different approaches. In this regard, <a href="/wiki/Theoretical_particle_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Theoretical particle physics">theoretical particle physics</a> forms a good example. For instance: "<a href="/wiki/Phenomenology_(physics)" title="Phenomenology (physics)">phenomenologists</a>" might employ (<a href="/wiki/Semi-empirical" class="mw-redirect" title="Semi-empirical">semi-</a>) <a href="/wiki/Empirical" class="mw-redirect" title="Empirical">empirical</a> formulas and <a href="/wiki/Heuristic" title="Heuristic">heuristics</a> to agree with experimental results, often <a href="/wiki/Heuristic_argument" title="Heuristic argument">without deep physical understanding</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>c<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "Modelers" (also called "model-builders") often appear much like phenomenologists, but try to model speculative theories that have certain desirable features (rather than on experimental data), or apply the techniques of <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_modeling" class="mw-redirect" title="Mathematical modeling">mathematical modeling</a> to physics problems.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>d<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some attempt to create approximate theories, called <i><a href="/wiki/Effective_field_theories" class="mw-redirect" title="Effective field theories">effective theories</a></i>, because fully developed theories may be regarded as unsolvable or <a href="/wiki/Complexity" title="Complexity">too complicated</a>. Other theorists may try to <a href="/wiki/Unified_field_theories" class="mw-redirect" title="Unified field theories">unify</a>, formalise, reinterpret or generalise extant theories, or create completely new ones altogether.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>e<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sometimes the vision provided by pure mathematical systems can provide clues to how a physical system might be modeled;<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>f<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> e.g., the notion, due to <a href="/wiki/Bernhard_Riemann" title="Bernhard Riemann">Riemann</a> and others, that <a href="/wiki/Space" title="Space">space</a> itself might be curved. Theoretical problems that need computational investigation are often the concern of <a href="/wiki/Computational_physics" title="Computational physics">computational physics</a>. </p><p>Theoretical advances may consist in setting aside old, incorrect <a href="/wiki/Paradigm" title="Paradigm">paradigms</a> (e.g., <a href="/wiki/Luminiferous_aether" title="Luminiferous aether">aether theory</a> of light propagation, <a href="/wiki/Caloric_theory" title="Caloric theory">caloric theory</a> of heat, burning consisting of evolving <a href="/wiki/Phlogiston" class="mw-redirect" title="Phlogiston">phlogiston</a>, or astronomical bodies <a href="/wiki/Geocentrism" class="mw-redirect" title="Geocentrism">revolving around the Earth</a>) or may be an alternative model that provides answers that are more accurate or that can be more widely applied. In the latter case, a <a href="/wiki/Correspondence_principle" title="Correspondence principle">correspondence principle</a> will be required to recover the <a href="/wiki/Classical_limit" title="Classical limit">previously known result</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sometimes though, advances may proceed along different paths. For example, an essentially correct theory may need some conceptual or factual revisions; <a href="/wiki/Atomic_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Atomic theory">atomic theory</a>, first postulated millennia ago (by <a href="/wiki/Atomism" title="Atomism">several thinkers in Greece and India</a>) and the <a href="/wiki/Fluid_theory_of_electricity" title="Fluid theory of electricity">two-fluid theory</a> of electricity<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> are two cases in this point. However, an exception to all the above is the <a href="/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality" title="Wave–particle duality">wave–particle duality</a>, a theory combining aspects of different, opposing models via the <a href="/wiki/Bohr_complementarity_principle" class="mw-redirect" title="Bohr complementarity principle">Bohr complementarity principle</a>. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mathematical_Physics_and_other_sciences.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Mathematical_Physics_and_other_sciences.png/220px-Mathematical_Physics_and_other_sciences.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="161" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Mathematical_Physics_and_other_sciences.png 1.5x" data-file-width="265" data-file-height="194" /></a><figcaption>Relationship between mathematics and physics</figcaption></figure> <p>Physical theories become accepted if they are able to make correct predictions and no (or few) incorrect ones. The theory should have, at least as a secondary objective, a certain economy and elegance (compare to <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_beauty" title="Mathematical beauty">mathematical beauty</a>), a notion sometimes called "<a href="/wiki/Occam%27s_razor" title="Occam's razor">Occam's razor</a>" after the 13th-century English philosopher <a href="/wiki/William_of_Ockham" title="William of Ockham">William of Occam</a> (or Ockham), in which the simpler of two theories that describe the same matter just as adequately is preferred (but conceptual simplicity may mean mathematical complexity).<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They are also more likely to be accepted if they connect a wide range of phenomena. Testing the consequences of a theory is part of the <a href="/wiki/Scientific_method" title="Scientific method">scientific method</a>. </p><p>Physical theories can be grouped into three categories: <i><a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Mainstream_theories">mainstream theories</a></i>, <i><a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Proposed_theories">proposed theories</a></i> and <i><a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Fringe_theories">fringe theories</a></i>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/History_of_physics" title="History of physics">History of physics</a></div> <p>Theoretical physics began at least 2,300 years ago, under the <a href="/wiki/Pre-Socratic_philosophy" title="Pre-Socratic philosophy">Pre-socratic philosophy</a>, and continued by <a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a> and <a href="/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a>, whose views held sway for a millennium. During the rise of <a href="/wiki/Medieval_universities" class="mw-redirect" title="Medieval universities">medieval universities</a>, the only <a href="/wiki/Medieval_university#Characteristics" title="Medieval university">acknowledged intellectual disciplines</a> were the seven <a href="/wiki/Liberal_arts" class="mw-redirect" title="Liberal arts">liberal arts</a> of the <i><a href="/wiki/Trivium" title="Trivium">Trivium</a></i> like <a href="/wiki/Grammar" title="Grammar">grammar</a>, <a href="/wiki/Logic" title="Logic">logic</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Rhetoric" title="Rhetoric">rhetoric</a> and of the <i><a href="/wiki/Quadrivium" title="Quadrivium">Quadrivium</a></i> like <a href="/wiki/Arithmetic" title="Arithmetic">arithmetic</a>, <a href="/wiki/Geometry" title="Geometry">geometry</a>, <a href="/wiki/Music" title="Music">music</a> and <a href="/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy">astronomy</a>. During the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a> and <a href="/wiki/Renaissance" title="Renaissance">Renaissance</a>, the concept of <a href="/wiki/Experiment" title="Experiment">experimental</a> science, the <a href="/wiki/Counterpoint" title="Counterpoint">counterpoint</a> to theory, began with scholars such as <a href="/wiki/Ibn_al-Haytham" title="Ibn al-Haytham">Ibn al-Haytham</a> and <a href="/wiki/Francis_Bacon" title="Francis Bacon">Francis Bacon</a>. As the <a href="/wiki/Scientific_Revolution" title="Scientific Revolution">Scientific Revolution</a> gathered pace, the concepts of <a href="/wiki/Matter" title="Matter">matter</a>, energy, space, time and <a href="/wiki/Causality" title="Causality">causality</a> slowly began to acquire the form we know today, and other sciences spun off from the rubric of <a href="/wiki/Natural_philosophy" title="Natural philosophy">natural philosophy</a>. Thus began the modern era of theory with the <a href="/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus" title="Nicolaus Copernicus">Copernican</a> paradigm shift in astronomy, soon followed by <a href="/wiki/Johannes_Kepler" title="Johannes Kepler">Johannes Kepler</a>'s expressions for planetary orbits, which summarized the meticulous observations of <a href="/wiki/Tycho_Brahe" title="Tycho Brahe">Tycho Brahe</a>; the works of these men (alongside Galileo's) can perhaps be considered to constitute the Scientific Revolution. </p><p>The great push toward the modern concept of explanation started with <a href="/wiki/Galileo_Galilei" title="Galileo Galilei">Galileo</a>, one of the few <a href="/wiki/Physicist" title="Physicist">physicists</a> who was both a consummate theoretician and a great <a href="/wiki/Experimentalist" class="mw-redirect" title="Experimentalist">experimentalist</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Analytic_geometry" title="Analytic geometry">analytic geometry</a> and mechanics of <a href="/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes" title="René Descartes">Descartes</a> were incorporated into the <a href="/wiki/Calculus" title="Calculus">calculus</a> and <a href="/wiki/Classical_mechanics" title="Classical mechanics">mechanics</a> of <a href="/wiki/Isaac_Newton" title="Isaac Newton">Isaac Newton</a>, another theoretician/experimentalist of the highest order, writing <a href="/wiki/Philosophi%C3%A6_Naturalis_Principia_Mathematica" title="Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica"><i>Principia Mathematica</i></a>.<sup id="cite_ref-hooke1679nov24_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hooke1679nov24-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In it contained a grand synthesis of the work of Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler; as well as Newton's theories of mechanics and gravitation, which held sway as worldviews until the early 20th century. Simultaneously, progress was also made in optics (in particular colour theory and the ancient science of <a href="/wiki/Geometrical_optics" title="Geometrical optics">geometrical optics</a>), courtesy of Newton, Descartes and the Dutchmen Snell and Huygens. In the 18th and 19th centuries <a href="/wiki/Joseph-Louis_Lagrange" title="Joseph-Louis Lagrange">Joseph-Louis Lagrange</a>, <a href="/wiki/Leonhard_Euler" title="Leonhard Euler">Leonhard Euler</a> and <a href="/wiki/William_Rowan_Hamilton" title="William Rowan Hamilton">William Rowan Hamilton</a> would extend the theory of classical mechanics considerably.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They picked up the interactive intertwining of <a href="/wiki/Mathematics" title="Mathematics">mathematics</a> and <a href="/wiki/Physics" title="Physics">physics</a> begun two millennia earlier by Pythagoras. </p><p>Among the great conceptual achievements of the 19th and 20th centuries were the consolidation of the idea of <a href="/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a> (as well as its global conservation) by the inclusion of <a href="/wiki/Heat" title="Heat">heat</a>, <a href="/wiki/Electricity_and_magnetism" class="mw-redirect" title="Electricity and magnetism">electricity and magnetism</a>, and then <a href="/wiki/Light" title="Light">light</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Laws_of_thermodynamics" title="Laws of thermodynamics">laws of thermodynamics</a>, and most importantly the introduction of the singular concept of <a href="/wiki/Entropy" title="Entropy">entropy</a> began to provide a macroscopic explanation for the properties of matter. <a href="/wiki/Statistical_mechanics" title="Statistical mechanics">Statistical mechanics</a> (followed by <a href="/wiki/Statistical_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Statistical physics">statistical physics</a> and <a href="/wiki/Quantum_statistical_mechanics" title="Quantum statistical mechanics">Quantum statistical mechanics</a>) emerged as an offshoot of thermodynamics late in the 19th century. Another important event in the 19th century was the discovery of <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Electromagnetic theory">electromagnetic theory</a>, unifying the previously separate phenomena of electricity, magnetism and light. </p><p>The pillars of <a href="/wiki/Modern_physics" title="Modern physics">modern physics</a>, and perhaps the most revolutionary theories in the history of physics, have been <a href="/wiki/Theory_of_relativity" title="Theory of relativity">relativity theory</a> and <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">quantum mechanics</a>. Newtonian mechanics was subsumed under special relativity and Newton's <a href="/wiki/Gravity" title="Gravity">gravity</a> was given a <a href="/wiki/Kinematic" class="mw-redirect" title="Kinematic">kinematic</a> explanation by <a href="/wiki/General_relativity" title="General relativity">general relativity</a>. Quantum mechanics led to an understanding of <a href="/wiki/Black_body" title="Black body">blackbody</a> <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation" title="Electromagnetic radiation">radiation</a> (which indeed, was an original motivation for the theory) and of anomalies in the <a href="/wiki/Specific_heat_capacity" title="Specific heat capacity">specific heats</a> of <a href="/wiki/Solid" title="Solid">solids</a> — and finally to an understanding of the internal structures of <a href="/wiki/Atom" title="Atom">atoms</a> and <a href="/wiki/Molecule" title="Molecule">molecules</a>. Quantum mechanics soon gave way to the formulation of <a href="/wiki/Quantum_field_theory" title="Quantum field theory">quantum field theory</a> (QFT), begun in the late 1920s. In the aftermath of World War 2, more progress brought much renewed interest in QFT, which had since the early efforts, stagnated. The same period also saw fresh attacks on the problems of superconductivity and phase transitions, as well as the first applications of QFT in the area of theoretical condensed matter. The 1960s and 70s saw the formulation of the <a href="/wiki/Standard_model_of_particle_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Standard model of particle physics">Standard model of particle physics</a> using QFT and progress in condensed matter physics (theoretical <a href="/wiki/BCS_theory" title="BCS theory">foundations of superconductivity</a> and <a href="/wiki/Critical_phenomena" title="Critical phenomena">critical phenomena</a>, <a href="/wiki/Landau-Ginzburg_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Landau-Ginzburg theory">among others</a>), in parallel to the applications of relativity to <a href="/wiki/Golden_age_of_general_relativity" class="mw-redirect" title="Golden age of general relativity">problems in astronomy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Golden_age_of_cosmology" title="Golden age of cosmology">cosmology respectively</a>. </p><p>All of these achievements depended on the theoretical physics as a moving force both to suggest experiments and to consolidate results — often by ingenious application of existing mathematics, or, as in the case of Descartes and Newton (with <a href="/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz" class="mw-redirect" title="Gottfried Leibniz">Leibniz</a>), by inventing new mathematics. <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Fourier" title="Joseph Fourier">Fourier's</a> studies of heat conduction led to a new branch of mathematics: <a href="/wiki/Fourier_series" title="Fourier series">infinite, orthogonal series</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Modern theoretical physics attempts to unify theories and explain phenomena in further attempts to understand the <a href="/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">Universe</a>, from the <a href="/wiki/Physical_cosmology" title="Physical cosmology">cosmological</a> to the <a href="/wiki/Elementary_particle" title="Elementary particle">elementary particle</a> scale. Where experimentation cannot be done, theoretical physics still tries to advance through the use of mathematical models. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Mainstream_theories">Mainstream theories</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Mainstream theories"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><b>Mainstream theories</b> (sometimes referred to as <i>central theories</i>) are the body of knowledge of both factual and scientific views and possess a usual scientific quality of the tests of repeatability, consistency with existing well-established science and experimentation. There do exist mainstream theories that are generally accepted theories based solely upon their effects explaining a wide variety of data, although the detection, explanation, and possible composition are subjects of debate. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Examples">Examples</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Examples"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 18em;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaos_theory" title="Chaos theory">Chaos theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_mechanics" title="Classical mechanics">Classical mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_field_theory" title="Classical field theory">Classical field theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dynamo_theory" title="Dynamo theory">Dynamo theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Field_theory_(physics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Field theory (physics)">Field theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ginzburg%E2%80%93Landau_theory" title="Ginzburg–Landau theory">Ginzburg–Landau theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kinetic_theory_of_gases" title="Kinetic theory of gases">Kinetic theory of gases</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_electromagnetism" title="Classical electromagnetism">Classical electromagnetism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perturbation_theory_(quantum_mechanics)" title="Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics)">Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physical_cosmology" title="Physical cosmology">Physical cosmology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_chromodynamics" title="Quantum chromodynamics">Quantum chromodynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_complexity_theory" title="Quantum complexity theory">Quantum complexity theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_electrodynamics" title="Quantum electrodynamics">Quantum electrodynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_field_theory" title="Quantum field theory">Quantum field theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_field_theory_in_curved_spacetime" title="Quantum field theory in curved spacetime">Quantum field theory in curved spacetime</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_information_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Quantum information theory">Quantum information theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">Quantum mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_thermodynamics" title="Quantum thermodynamics">Quantum thermodynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relativistic_quantum_mechanics" title="Relativistic quantum mechanics">Relativistic quantum mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scattering_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Scattering theory">Scattering theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Standard_Model" title="Standard Model">Standard Model</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statistical_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Statistical physics">Statistical physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theory_of_relativity" title="Theory of relativity">Theory of relativity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality" title="Wave–particle duality">Wave–particle duality</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Proposed_theories">Proposed theories</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Proposed theories"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <b>proposed theories</b> of physics are usually relatively new theories which deal with the study of physics which include scientific approaches, means for determining the validity of models and new types of reasoning used to arrive at the theory. However, some proposed theories include theories that have been around for decades and have eluded methods of discovery and testing. Proposed theories can include fringe theories in the process of becoming established (and, sometimes, gaining wider acceptance). Proposed theories usually have not been tested. In addition to the theories like those listed below, there are also different <a href="/wiki/Interpretations_of_quantum_mechanics" title="Interpretations of quantum mechanics">interpretations of quantum mechanics</a>, which may or may not be considered different theories since it is debatable whether they yield different predictions for physical experiments, even in principle. For example, <a href="/wiki/AdS/CFT_correspondence" title="AdS/CFT correspondence">AdS/CFT correspondence</a>, <a href="/wiki/Chern%E2%80%93Simons_theory" title="Chern–Simons theory">Chern–Simons theory</a>, <a href="/wiki/Graviton" title="Graviton">graviton</a>, <a href="/wiki/Magnetic_monopole" title="Magnetic monopole">magnetic monopole</a>, <a href="/wiki/String_theory" title="String theory">string theory</a>, <a href="/wiki/Theory_of_everything" title="Theory of everything">theory of everything</a>. </p><p><br /> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Fringe_theories">Fringe theories</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Fringe theories"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><b>Fringe theories</b> include any new area of scientific endeavor in the process of becoming established and some proposed theories. It can include speculative sciences. This includes physics fields and physical theories presented in accordance with known evidence, and a body of associated predictions have been made according to that theory. </p><p>Some fringe theories go on to become a widely accepted part of physics. Other fringe theories end up being disproven. Some fringe theories are a form of <a href="/wiki/Protoscience" title="Protoscience">protoscience</a> and others are a form of <a href="/wiki/Pseudoscience" title="Pseudoscience">pseudoscience</a>. The falsification of the original theory sometimes leads to reformulation of the theory. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Examples_2">Examples</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Examples"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1184024115"><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aether_(classical_element)" title="Aether (classical element)">Aether (classical element)</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Luminiferous_aether" title="Luminiferous aether">Luminiferous aether</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Digital_physics" title="Digital physics">Digital physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electrogravitics" title="Electrogravitics">Electrogravitics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stochastic_electrodynamics" title="Stochastic electrodynamics">Stochastic electrodynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#On_experimental_and_theoretical_physics" title="Nikola Tesla">Tesla's dynamic theory of gravity</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Thought_experiments_vs_real_experiments">Thought experiments vs real experiments</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Thought experiments vs real experiments"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Thought_experiment" title="Thought experiment">Thought experiment</a></div> <p>"Thought" experiments are situations created in one's mind, asking a question akin to "suppose you are in this situation, assuming such is true, what would follow?". They are usually created to investigate phenomena that are not readily experienced in every-day situations. Famous examples of such thought experiments are <a href="/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat" title="Schrödinger's cat">Schrödinger's cat</a>, the <a href="/wiki/EPR_paradox" class="mw-redirect" title="EPR paradox">EPR thought experiment</a>, <a href="/wiki/Time_dilation" title="Time dilation">simple illustrations of time dilation</a>, and so on. These usually lead to real experiments designed to verify that the conclusion (and therefore the assumptions) of the thought experiments are correct. The EPR thought experiment led to the <a href="/wiki/Bell_inequalities" class="mw-redirect" title="Bell inequalities">Bell inequalities</a>, which were then <a href="/wiki/Bell_test_experiments" class="mw-redirect" title="Bell test experiments">tested to various degrees of rigor</a>, leading to the acceptance of the current formulation of <a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">quantum mechanics</a> and <a href="/wiki/Quantum_indeterminacy" title="Quantum indeterminacy">probabilism</a> as a <a href="/wiki/Working_hypothesis" title="Working hypothesis">working hypothesis</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_theoretical_physicists" title="List of theoretical physicists">List of theoretical physicists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_physics" title="Philosophy of physics">Philosophy of physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Symmetry_in_quantum_mechanics" title="Symmetry in quantum mechanics">Symmetry in quantum mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_developments_in_theoretical_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Timeline of developments in theoretical physics">Timeline of developments in theoretical physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double_field_theory" title="Double field theory">Double field theory</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">There is some debate as to whether or not theoretical physics uses mathematics to build intuition and illustrativeness to extract physical insight (especially when normal <a href="/wiki/Experience" title="Experience">experience</a> fails), rather than as a tool in formalizing theories. This links to the question of it using mathematics in a less formally rigorous, and more intuitive or <a href="/wiki/Heuristic" title="Heuristic">heuristic</a> way than, say, <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_physics" title="Mathematical physics">mathematical physics</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Sometimes the word "theory" can be used ambiguously in this sense, not to describe scientific theories, but research (sub)fields and programmes. Examples: relativity theory, quantum field theory, string theory.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The work of <a href="/wiki/Johann_Balmer" class="mw-redirect" title="Johann Balmer">Johann Balmer</a> and <a href="/wiki/Johannes_Rydberg" title="Johannes Rydberg">Johannes Rydberg</a> in spectroscopy, and the <a href="/wiki/Semi-empirical_mass_formula" title="Semi-empirical mass formula">semi-empirical mass formula</a> of nuclear physics are good candidates for examples of this approach.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The <a href="/wiki/Ptolemaic_model" class="mw-redirect" title="Ptolemaic model">Ptolemaic</a> and <a href="/wiki/Heliocentrism" title="Heliocentrism">Copernican</a> models of the Solar system, the Bohr model of hydrogen atoms and <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_shell_model" title="Nuclear shell model">nuclear shell model</a> are good candidates for examples of this approach.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Arguably these are the most celebrated theories in physics: Newton's theory of gravitation, Einstein's theory of relativity and Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism share some of these attributes.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">This approach is often favoured by (pure) mathematicians and mathematical physicists.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFvan_Dongen2009" class="citation journal cs1">van Dongen, Jeroen (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00407-009-0050-5">"On the role of the Michelson-Morley experiment: Einstein in Chicago"</a>. <i>Archive for History of Exact Sciences</i>. <b>63</b> (6): 655–663. <a href="/wiki/ArXiv_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ArXiv (identifier)">arXiv</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.1545">0908.1545</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00407-009-0050-5">10.1007/s00407-009-0050-5</a></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Archive+for+History+of+Exact+Sciences&rft.atitle=On+the+role+of+the+Michelson-Morley+experiment%3A+Einstein+in+Chicago&rft.volume=63&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=655-663&rft.date=2009&rft_id=info%3Aarxiv%2F0908.1545&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2Fs00407-009-0050-5&rft.aulast=van+Dongen&rft.aufirst=Jeroen&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1007%252Fs00407-009-0050-5&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ref_s-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Ref_s_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/index.html">"The Nobel Prize in Physics 1921"</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Nobel_Foundation" title="Nobel Foundation">Nobel Foundation</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2008-10-09</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Nobel+Prize+in+Physics+1921&rft.pub=The+Nobel+Foundation&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fnobelprize.org%2Fnobel_prizes%2Fphysics%2Flaureates%2F1921%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nelson-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Nelson_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.esotericka.org/cmc/tth.html">Theorems and Theories</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090102/http://www.esotericka.org/cmc/tth.html">Archived</a> 2014-08-19 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, Sam Nelson.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Chu-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Chu_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mark C. Chu-Carroll, March 13, 2007:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.goodmath.org/blog/2007/03/13/theories-theorems-lemmas-and-corollaries/">Theories, Theorems, Lemmas, and Corollaries.</a> Good Math, Bad Math blog.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSingiresu_S._Rao2007" class="citation book cs1">Singiresu S. Rao (2007). <i>Vibration of Continuous Systems</i> (illustrated ed.). <a href="/wiki/John_Wiley_%26_Sons" class="mw-redirect" title="John Wiley & Sons">John Wiley & Sons</a>. 5,12. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0471771715" title="Special:BookSources/978-0471771715"><bdi>978-0471771715</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Vibration+of+Continuous+Systems&rft.pages=5%2C12&rft.edition=illustrated&rft.pub=John+Wiley+%26+Sons&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0471771715&rft.au=Singiresu+S.+Rao&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780471771715" title="Special:BookSources/9780471771715">9780471771715</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEli_Maor2007" class="citation book cs1">Eli Maor (2007). <span class="id-lock-limited" title="Free access subject to limited trial, subscription normally required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/pythagoreantheor00maor_711"><i>The Pythagorean Theorem: A 4,000-year History</i></a></span> (illustrated ed.). <a href="/wiki/Princeton_University_Press" title="Princeton University Press">Princeton University Press</a>. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/pythagoreantheor00maor_711/page/n36">18</a>–20. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0691125268" title="Special:BookSources/978-0691125268"><bdi>978-0691125268</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Pythagorean+Theorem%3A+A+4%2C000-year+History&rft.pages=18-20&rft.edition=illustrated&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-0691125268&rft.au=Eli+Maor&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fpythagoreantheor00maor_711&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780691125268" title="Special:BookSources/9780691125268">9780691125268</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bokulich, Alisa, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2014/entries/bohr-correspondence/">Bohr's Correspondence Principle</a>", The <a href="/wiki/Stanford_Encyclopedia_of_Philosophy" title="Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy">Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a> (Spring 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Enc. Britannica (1994), pg 844.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Enc. Britannica (1994), pg 834.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/simplici/">Simplicity in the Philosophy of Science</a> (retrieved 19 Aug 2014), <a href="/wiki/Internet_Encyclopedia_of_Philosophy" title="Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy">Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-hooke1679nov24-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-hooke1679nov24_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See 'Correspondence of Isaac Newton, vol.2, 1676–1687' ed. H W Turnbull, Cambridge University Press 1960; at page 297, document #235, letter from Hooke to Newton dated 24 November 1679.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPenrose,_R2004" class="citation book cs1">Penrose, R (2004). <a href="/wiki/The_Road_to_Reality" title="The Road to Reality"><i>The Road to Reality</i></a>. Jonathan Cape. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/roadtoreality00penr_678/page/n499">471</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Road+to+Reality&rft.pages=471&rft.pub=Jonathan+Cape&rft.date=2004&rft.au=Penrose%2C+R&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPenrose,_R2004" class="citation book cs1">Penrose, R (2004). "9: Fourier decompositions and hyperfunctions". <a href="/wiki/The_Road_to_Reality" title="The Road to Reality"><i>The Road to Reality</i></a>. Jonathan Cape.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=9%3A+Fourier+decompositions+and+hyperfunctions&rft.btitle=The+Road+to+Reality&rft.pub=Jonathan+Cape&rft.date=2004&rft.au=Penrose%2C+R&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><i>Physical Sciences</i>. <a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica" title="Encyclopædia Britannica">Encyclopædia Britannica</a> (Macropaedia). Vol. 25 (15th ed.). 1994.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Physical+Sciences&rft.series=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica+%28Macropaedia%29&rft.edition=15th&rft.date=1994&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ATheoretical+physics" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Duhem, Pierre. <i>La théorie physique - Son objet, sa structure</i>, (in French). 2nd edition - 1914. English translation: <i>The physical theory - its purpose, its structure</i>. Republished by <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Vrin" class="extiw" title="fr:Joseph Vrin">Joseph Vrin</a> philosophical bookstore (1981), <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/2711602214" title="Special:BookSources/2711602214">2711602214</a>.</li> <li>Feynman, et al. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://feynmanlectures.caltech.edu"><i>The Feynman Lectures on Physics</i></a> (3 vol.). First edition: Addison–Wesley, (1964, 1966).</li></ul> <dl><dd>Bestselling three-volume textbook covering the span of physics. Reference for both (under)graduate student and professional researcher alike.</dd></dl> <ul><li>Landau et al. <i><a href="/wiki/Course_of_Theoretical_Physics" title="Course of Theoretical Physics">Course of Theoretical Physics</a></i>.</li></ul> <dl><dd>Famous series of books dealing with theoretical concepts in physics covering 10 volumes, translated into many languages and reprinted over many editions. Often known simply as "Landau and Lifschits" or "Landau-Lifschits" in the literature.</dd></dl> <ul><li>Longair, MS. <i>Theoretical Concepts in Physics: An Alternative View of Theoretical Reasoning in Physics</i>. <a href="/wiki/Cambridge_University_Press" title="Cambridge University Press">Cambridge University Press</a>; 2d edition (4 Dec 2003). <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/052152878X" title="Special:BookSources/052152878X">052152878X</a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0521528788" title="Special:BookSources/978-0521528788">978-0521528788</a></li> <li>Planck, Max (1909). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=KisvtatMApwC"><i>Eight Lectures on theoretical physics</i></a>. Library of Alexandria. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1465521887" title="Special:BookSources/1465521887">1465521887</a>, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781465521880" title="Special:BookSources/9781465521880">9781465521880</a>.</li></ul> <dl><dd>A set of lectures given in 1909 at <a href="/wiki/Columbia_University" title="Columbia University">Columbia University</a>.</dd></dl> <ul><li>Sommerfeld, Arnold. <i>Vorlesungen über theoretische Physik</i> (<i><a href="/wiki/Lectures_on_Theoretical_Physics" title="Lectures on Theoretical Physics">Lectures on Theoretical Physics</a></i>); German, 6 volumes.</li></ul> <dl><dd>A series of lessons from a master educator of theoretical physicists.</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/40px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/60px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg/80px-Wikibooks-logo-en-noslogan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="400" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: <i><b><a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Theoretical_Physics" class="extiw" title="wikibooks:Introduction to Theoretical Physics">Introduction to Theoretical Physics</a></b></i></div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://physics.mit.edu/research/labs-centers/center-for-theoretical-physics/">MIT Center for Theoretical Physics</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gadda001/goodtheorist/">How to become a GOOD Theoretical Physicist</a>, a website made by <a href="/wiki/Gerard_%27t_Hooft" title="Gerard 't Hooft">Gerard 't Hooft</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Major_branches_of_physics" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Branches_of_physics" title="Template:Branches of physics"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Branches_of_physics" title="Template talk:Branches of physics"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Branches_of_physics" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Branches of physics"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Major_branches_of_physics" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Major <a href="/wiki/Branches_of_physics" title="Branches of physics">branches of physics</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Divisions</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Basic_research" title="Basic research">Pure</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Applied_physics" title="Applied physics">Applied</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Engineering_physics" title="Engineering physics">Engineering</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Approaches</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Experimental_physics" title="Experimental physics">Experimental</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Theoretical</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Computational_physics" title="Computational physics">Computational</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Classical_physics" title="Classical physics">Classical</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Classical_mechanics" title="Classical mechanics">Classical mechanics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Newton%27s_laws_of_motion" title="Newton's laws of motion">Newtonian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Analytical_mechanics" title="Analytical mechanics">Analytical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Celestial_mechanics" title="Celestial mechanics">Celestial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Continuum_mechanics" title="Continuum mechanics">Continuum</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acoustics" title="Acoustics">Acoustics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_electromagnetism" title="Classical electromagnetism">Classical electromagnetism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Classical_optics" class="mw-redirect" title="Classical optics">Classical optics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geometrical_optics" title="Geometrical optics">Ray</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physical_optics" title="Physical optics">Wave</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thermodynamics" title="Thermodynamics">Thermodynamics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Statistical_mechanics" title="Statistical mechanics">Statistical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Non-equilibrium_thermodynamics" title="Non-equilibrium thermodynamics">Non-equilibrium</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Modern_physics" title="Modern physics">Modern</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Relativistic_mechanics" title="Relativistic mechanics">Relativistic mechanics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Special_relativity" title="Special relativity">Special</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/General_relativity" title="General relativity">General</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuclear_physics" title="Nuclear physics">Nuclear physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Particle_physics" title="Particle physics">Particle physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_mechanics" title="Quantum mechanics">Quantum mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atomic,_molecular,_and_optical_physics" title="Atomic, molecular, and optical physics">Atomic, molecular, and optical physics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Atomic_physics" title="Atomic physics">Atomic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Molecular_physics" title="Molecular physics">Molecular</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Optics#Modern_optics" title="Optics">Modern optics</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Condensed_matter_physics" title="Condensed matter physics">Condensed matter physics</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Solid-state_physics" title="Solid-state physics">Solid-state physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crystallography" title="Crystallography">Crystallography</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Applied_and_interdisciplinary_physics" title="Category:Applied and interdisciplinary physics">Interdisciplinary</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Astrophysics" title="Astrophysics">Astrophysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atmospheric_physics" title="Atmospheric physics">Atmospheric physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Biophysics" title="Biophysics">Biophysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chemical_physics" title="Chemical physics">Chemical physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geophysics" title="Geophysics">Geophysics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Materials_science" title="Materials science">Materials science</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mathematical_physics" title="Mathematical physics">Mathematical physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Medical_physics" title="Medical physics">Medical physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physical_oceanography" title="Physical oceanography">Ocean physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quantum_information_science" title="Quantum information science">Quantum information science</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_physics" title="History of physics">History of physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics" title="Nobel Prize in Physics">Nobel Prize in Physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_physics" title="Philosophy of physics">Philosophy of physics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Physics_education" title="Physics education">Physics education</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_fundamental_physics_discoveries" title="Timeline of fundamental physics discoveries">Timeline of physics discoveries</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a>: National <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18362#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Theoretische Physik"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/4117202-4">Germany</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.ndl.go.jp/auth/ndlna/00569547">Japan</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="teoretická fyzika"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aleph.nkp.cz/F/?func=find-c&local_base=aut&ccl_term=ica=ph126543&CON_LNG=ENG">Czech Republic</a></span></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&oldid=1257688589">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&oldid=1257688589</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Category</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Theoretical_physics" title="Category:Theoretical physics">Theoretical physics</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links" title="Category:Webarchive template wayback links">Webarchive template wayback links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 16 November 2024, at 05:02<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theoretical_physics&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-f69cdc8f6-bjwd6","wgBackendResponseTime":188,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.423","walltime":"0.578","ppvisitednodes":{"value":3154,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":38793,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":3337,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":16,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":3,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":63776,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":1,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 462.086 1 -total"," 35.23% 162.778 2 Template:Reflist"," 16.98% 78.464 1 Template:Physics-footer"," 16.27% 75.199 1 Template:Navbox"," 16.12% 74.495 1 Template:Cite_journal"," 16.00% 73.927 1 Template:Short_description"," 9.59% 44.319 7 Template:Isbn"," 8.43% 38.932 2 Template:Pagetype"," 7.28% 33.638 17 Template:Main_other"," 6.75% 31.185 1 Template:Authority_control"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.232","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":5632914,"limit":52428800}},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-f69cdc8f6-vrhlg","timestamp":"20241122143759","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Theoretical physics","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theoretical_physics","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q18362","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q18362","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2003-09-21T15:11:11Z","dateModified":"2024-11-16T05:02:17Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/d\/d7\/LorentzianWormhole.jpg","headline":"branch of physics concerned with formulating theory rather than performing experiments"}</script> </body> </html>