The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided who it is handing out the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics to.
The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics is being given to three individuals. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is handing out one half of the award to David J. Thouless from the University of Washington.
The second half of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics is being given to F. Duncan M. Haldane of Princeton University and J. Michael Kosterlitz of Brown University. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decided on these three for “theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.”
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences had this to say about the winners of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics:
“This year’s Laureates opened the door on an unknown world where matter can assume strange states. They have used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual phases, or states, of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or thin magnetic films. Thanks to their pioneering work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic phases of matter. Many people are hopeful of future applications in both materials science and electronics.”
The award for the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics also includes 8 million Swedish krona, which is about $931,000. Half of the money is being given to David Thouless. The other half will be split between Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was founded in 1739 with the intention to promote science and increase its influence over society. The Nobel Prize in Physics was one of the five originals established by the will of Alfred Nobel and
