Background
Griffiths, Robert Budington was born on February 25, 1937 in Etah, India. Son of Walter Denison and Margaret (Hamilton) H.
Griffiths, Robert Budington was born on February 25, 1937 in Etah, India. Son of Walter Denison and Margaret (Hamilton) H.
Griffiths attended Woodstock School, India from fourth standard to tenth, along with his brothers and sisters. Following his time at Woodstock, Griffiths attended Princeton University where he earned a Bachelor in Physics in 1957. He then earned both an Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from Stanford University in 1958 and 1962 respectively.
He is the originator of the consistent histories approach to quantum mechanics, which has since been developed by himself, Roland Omnès, Murray Gell-Mann, and James Hartle. Even during his Woodstock days, Griffiths" mathematical and scientific aptitude was apparent. The 1952 year book remarks that "Robert is famous for his long arguments (and unsurpassed knowledge) in chemistry class, his ability to "recite" the log tables indelibly written in his brain, and his skill when it comes to fixing anything electrical." This knack for electrical systems kept Griffiths at Woodstock through part of 1953, working with the school"s various wiring systems
He was a Postdoctoral Fellow of the University of California, San Diego, from 1962–1964, Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University from 1964–1967, becoming Associate Professor in 1967 and Professor in 1969.
Since that time, Griffiths" academic contributions have been widely recognized. Within his work and research, Griffiths" primary focus has been in the field of quantum mechanics.
Of the research, he has noted that "Quantum mechanics is hard to understand not only because it involves unfamiliar mathematics, but also because the usual discussion in textbooks about how to relate the mathematics to the real world is incomplete". lieutenant is this application of quantum information to the real world that Griffiths strives foreign
In 1984, he initiated a research program which sought to supply the missing link between theory and application while working out an entirely consistent form of quantum theory.
Along with contributions of several key colleagues, the project eventually resulted in what is now commonly called the consistent (or decoherent) history approach to quantum theory, now effectively studied and applied in several areas of the field of quantum mechanics. At present, Griffiths is the Otto Stern University Professor of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University. He has published over 140 articles, as well as the book Consistent Quantum Theory.
Griffiths" research interests continue to include the foundations of quantum mechanics, quantum computation, and the relation of physical science and Christian theology.
National Academy of Sciences]
He is a member of Sigma Xi, a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation.