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Re:The Relation Between Mathematics and Physics (1939) by 9NRtKyP4 on Sunday July 14, 2019 @06:39PM (#20436702)
> I would suggest, as a more hopeful-looking idea for getting an improved quantum theory, that one take as basis the theory of functions of a complex variable.

Nailed it.

Re:The Relation Between Mathematics and Physics (1939) by mathgenius on Sunday July 14, 2019 @07:07PM (#20436855)
Quantum physics is based on complex Hilbert spaces. This is quite different to the theory of functions of a complex variable. I think Dirac was just making s!!t up here.

But anyway, by now modern theoretical physics has hoovered up quite a lot of 19th century pure mathematics, including this theory mentioned by Dirac. Specifically I'm thinking of things like conformal field theory.