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{{short description|American academic (1922–1998)}}
{{Infobox Scientist {{Infobox scientist
⚫ |name = E. T. Jaynes
|box_width = 300px | name = E. T. Jaynes
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|caption = Edwin Thompson Jaynes (1922-1998), photo taken circa 1960. | caption = Edwin Thompson Jaynes, {{circa}} 1960.
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| thesis_title = An electronic theory of ferroelectricity
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'''Edwin Thompson Jaynes''' (], ] &ndash; ], ]) was Wayman Crow Distinguished Professor of Physics at ] in ]. He wrote extensively on ] and on foundations of ] and ], initiating in 1957 the ] of thermodynamics<ref>E. T. Jaynes (1957) , ''Physical Review'' '''106''':620</ref><ref>E. T. Jaynes (1957) , ''Physical Review'' '''108''':171</ref>, as being a particular application of more general ]/] techniques (although he argued this was already implicit in the works of ]). He was one of the first to interpret ] as an extension of ]. '''Edwin Thompson Jaynes''' (July 5, 1922 – April 30,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Clark J.W. |author2=Norberg R.E. |author3=Bretthorst G.L. |title=Edwin Thompson Jaynes |journal=] |volume=53 |pages=71 |date=January 2000 |issue=1 |doi=10.1063/1.882948 |url=http://library.wustl.edu/units/spec/exhibits/crow/jaynesbio.html |bibcode=2000PhT....53a..71. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806181215/http://library.wustl.edu/units/spec/exhibits/crow/jaynesbio.html |archive-date=2007-08-06 }}</ref> 1998) was the Wayman Crow Distinguished Professor of Physics at ]. He wrote extensively on ] and on foundations of ] and ], initiating in 1957 the ]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jaynes, E.T. |title=Information theory and statistical mechanics |journal=Physical Review |volume=106 |issue=4 |pages=620–630 |year=1957 |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.106.620 |url=http://bayes.wustl.edu/etj/articles/theory.1.pdf |bibcode=1957PhRv..106..620J|s2cid=17870175 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Jaynes, E.T. |author-mask=1 |title=Information theory and statistical mechanics II |journal=Physical Review |volume=108 |issue=2 |pages=171–190 |year=1957 |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.108.171 |url=http://bayes.wustl.edu/etj/articles/theory.2.pdf |bibcode=1957PhRv..108..171J}}</ref> as being a particular application of more general ]/] techniques (although he argued this was already implicit in the works of ]). Jaynes strongly promoted the interpretation of ] as an extension of ].


In 1963, together with ], he modelized the evolution of a ] in an electromagnetic field, in a fully quantized way. This model is known as the ]. In 1963, together with his doctoral student ], he ] the evolution of a ] in an electromagnetic field, in a fully quantized way.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Cummings |first=Frederick W |date=2013-11-01 |title=Reminiscing about thesis work with E T Jaynes at Stanford in the 1950s |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-4075/46/22/220202 |journal=Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics |volume=46 |issue=22 |pages=220202 |doi=10.1088/0953-4075/46/22/220202 |issn=0953-4075}}</ref> This model is known as the ].


A particular focus of his work was the construction of logical principles for assigning prior probability distributions; see the ], the principle of transformation groups<ref>E. T. Jaynes (1968) , ''IEEE Trans. on Systems Science and Cybernetics'' '''SSC-4''':227</ref><ref>E. T. Jaynes (1973) , ''Found. Phys.'' '''3''':477</ref> and ]'s ]. A particular focus of his work was the construction of logical principles for assigning ] distributions; see the ], the ], the ]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jaynes, E.T. |author-mask=1 |title=Prior Probabilities |journal=IEEE Transactions on Systems Science and Cybernetics |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=227–241 |date=September 1968 |doi=10.1109/TSSC.1968.300117 |url=http://bayes.wustl.edu/etj/articles/prior.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Jaynes, E.T. |author-mask=1 |title=The Well-Posed Problem |journal=Found. Phys. |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=477–492 |date=December 1973 |doi=10.1007/BF00709116 |url=http://bayes.wustl.edu/etj/articles/well.pdf |bibcode=1973FoPh....3..477J|s2cid=2380040 }}</ref> and ]'s ]. Other contributions include the ].


His last book, ''Probability Theory: The Logic of Science'' gathers various threads of modern thinking about ] and ], and contrasts the advantages of Bayesian techniques with the results of other approaches. It was published posthumously in 2003 by ] from an incomplete manuscript by editor ]. Jaynes' book, ''Probability Theory: The Logic of Science'' (2003) gathers various threads of modern thinking about ] and ], develops the notion of ], and contrasts the advantages of Bayesian techniques with the results of other approaches. This book, which he dedicated to ], was published posthumously in 2003 (from an incomplete manuscript that was edited by ]).


Other of his doctoral students included ] and ].<ref name=":0" />
==Notes==

{{reflist}}
==See also==
*]
*]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
⚫ * Edwin Thompson Jaynes. Cambridge University Press, (2003). ISBN 0-521-59271-2.
* {{MathGenealogy|id=91282}}
⚫ * (fragmentary) of ''Probability Theory: The Logic of Science''.
⚫ * Edwin Thompson Jaynes. Cambridge University Press, (2003). {{ISBN|0-521-59271-2}}.
⚫ * (fragmentary) of ''Probability Theory: The Logic of Science''. Book no longer downloadable for copyright reasons.
* A comprehensive on E. T. Jaynes's life and work. * A comprehensive on E. T. Jaynes's life and work.
* *
* Jaynes' analysis of ]'s dice data


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Latest revision as of 10:59, 27 October 2024

American academic (1922–1998)
E. T. Jaynes
Edwin Thompson Jaynes, c. 1960.
Born(1922-07-05)July 5, 1922
Waterloo, Iowa
DiedApril 30, 1998(1998-04-30) (aged 75)
St. Louis, Missouri
EducationCornell College
Princeton University
Known forMaximum entropy thermodynamics
Bayesian theory
Jaynes–Cummings model
Scientific career
FieldsPhysicist
InstitutionsWashington University in St. Louis
Thesis An electronic theory of ferroelectricity  (1948)
Doctoral advisorEugene Wigner
Doctoral studentsFred Cummings
Joseph H. Eberly
Douglas James Scalapino
Jaynes around 1982

Edwin Thompson Jaynes (July 5, 1922 – April 30, 1998) was the Wayman Crow Distinguished Professor of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. He wrote extensively on statistical mechanics and on foundations of probability and statistical inference, initiating in 1957 the maximum entropy interpretation of thermodynamics as being a particular application of more general Bayesian/information theory techniques (although he argued this was already implicit in the works of Josiah Willard Gibbs). Jaynes strongly promoted the interpretation of probability theory as an extension of logic.

In 1963, together with his doctoral student Fred Cummings, he modeled the evolution of a two-level atom in an electromagnetic field, in a fully quantized way. This model is known as the Jaynes–Cummings model.

A particular focus of his work was the construction of logical principles for assigning prior probability distributions; see the principle of maximum entropy, the principle of maximum caliber, the principle of transformation groups and Laplace's principle of indifference. Other contributions include the mind projection fallacy.

Jaynes' book, Probability Theory: The Logic of Science (2003) gathers various threads of modern thinking about Bayesian probability and statistical inference, develops the notion of probability theory as extended logic, and contrasts the advantages of Bayesian techniques with the results of other approaches. This book, which he dedicated to Harold Jeffreys, was published posthumously in 2003 (from an incomplete manuscript that was edited by Larry Bretthorst).

Other of his doctoral students included Joseph H. Eberly and Douglas James Scalapino.

See also

References

  1. Clark J.W.; Norberg R.E.; Bretthorst G.L. (January 2000). "Edwin Thompson Jaynes". Physics Today. 53 (1): 71. Bibcode:2000PhT....53a..71.. doi:10.1063/1.882948. Archived from the original on 2007-08-06.
  2. Jaynes, E.T. (1957). "Information theory and statistical mechanics" (PDF). Physical Review. 106 (4): 620–630. Bibcode:1957PhRv..106..620J. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.106.620. S2CID 17870175.
  3. — (1957). "Information theory and statistical mechanics II" (PDF). Physical Review. 108 (2): 171–190. Bibcode:1957PhRv..108..171J. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.108.171.
  4. ^ Cummings, Frederick W (2013-11-01). "Reminiscing about thesis work with E T Jaynes at Stanford in the 1950s". Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. 46 (22): 220202. doi:10.1088/0953-4075/46/22/220202. ISSN 0953-4075.
  5. — (September 1968). "Prior Probabilities" (PDF). IEEE Transactions on Systems Science and Cybernetics. 4 (3): 227–241. doi:10.1109/TSSC.1968.300117.
  6. — (December 1973). "The Well-Posed Problem" (PDF). Found. Phys. 3 (4): 477–492. Bibcode:1973FoPh....3..477J. doi:10.1007/BF00709116. S2CID 2380040.

External links

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