Classical Literature Physics Mathematics History of Science

Classical Literature Reading

A Collection of Classic Papers in Physics, Mathematics, and Beyond

Posted by Maggie on July 15, 2026

📚 Classical Literature Reading

A collection of classic papers, historical essays, and foundational texts in Physics, Mathematics, Quantum Information, and the History of Science.

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries."

⚛️ Physics & Chemistry
📄
Between Accuracy and Manageability
Park, Buhm Soon
Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences. 39. 32-62 (2009)
📥 PDF
⚡
On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies
A. Einstein
Annalen der Physik (1905)
📥 PDF
🚀
An Outsider's Inside View of the Challenger Inquiry
Richard P. Feynman
Physics Today 41 (2), 26–37 (1988)
📥 PDF
📐
Electromagnetic Way to Derive Basic Relativistic Transformations
Congjun Wu
arXiv:2209.07466
🔗 arXiv
🌊
More is Different
P. W. Anderson
Science, 177(4047), 393-396 (1972)
📥 PDF
🔮
Broken Symmetry Can't Compare with Ferromagnets
Anderson, Langacker, Mann
Physics Today, 43(5), 117 (1990)
📥 PDF
🧲
The Search for Magnetic Monopoles
Arttu Rajantie
Physics Today 69, 10, 40 (2016)
📥 PDF
🌌
The Symmetry and Simplicity of the Laws of Physics and the Higgs Boson
Juan Maldacena
arXiv:1410.6753
🔗 arXiv
❄️
On the Concept of Spontaneously Broken Gauge Symmetry in Condensed Matter Physics
A. J. Leggett
Foundations of Physics, Vol. 21, No. 3 (1991)
📥 PDF
🔬
On the Nature of Research in Condensed-State Physics
A. J. Leggett
Foundations of Physics, Vol. 22, No. 2 (1992)
📥 PDF
🏆
Superfluid 3-He: The Early Days as Seen by a Theorist
A. J. Leggett
Nobel Lecture, December 8, 2003
📥 PDF
📖
Reflections on the Past, Present and Future of Condensed Matter Physics
A. J. Leggett
Science Bulletin 63 (2018) 1019–1022
📥 PDF
🤝
Matchmaking Between Condensed Matter and Quantum Foundations
A. J. Leggett
Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 2020. 11: 1–16
📥 PDF
🌀
Does Gravity Come from Quantum Information?
X. L. Qi
Nature Physics, 14(10), 984-987 (2018)
📥 PDF
⚖️
The Middle Way
Laughlin, Pines, Schmalian, Stojković, Wolynes
PNAS, 97(1), 32-37 (2000)
📥 PDF
🌐
A Geometric Theory of Everything
Lisi, A. G., Weatherall, J. O.
Scientific American, 303(6), 54-61 (2010)
📥 PDF
💡
Anti-photon
W. E. Lamb
Applied Physics B, 60(2), 77-84 (1995)
📥 PDF
📜
On the Dynamics of the Electron
H. Poincaré
The Genesis of General Relativity, 1179-1198
📥 PDF
⚛️
Quantum-Theoretical Re-interpretation of Kinematic and Mechanical Relations
W. Heisenberg
Z. Phys, 33, 879-893 (1925)
📥 PDF
🎲
On the Einstein Podolsky Rosen Paradox
J. S. Bell
Physics Physique Fizika, 1(3), 195 (1964)
📥 PDF
💻
Minimal Energy Requirements in Communication
R. Landauer
Science, 272(5270), 1914-1918 (1996)
📥 PDF
🔄
The Role of Symmetry in Fundamental Physics
D. J. Gross
PNAS, 93(25), 14256-14259 (1996)
📥 PDF
📢
A Plea for Pure Science
H. A. Rowland
Science, 2(29), 242-250 (1883)
📥 PDF
🧲
Resource Letter MM-1: Magnetic Monopoles
Goldhaber, A. S., Trower, W. P.
American Journal of Physics, 58(5), 429-439 (1990)
📥 PDF
🔗
Double Copy — from Optics to Quantum Gravity
C. D. White
arXiv:2105.06809
🔗 arXiv
🔭
Probing Majorana Neutrinos
L. Baudis
Physics 16, 13 (2023)
📥 PDF
💻 Quantum Information & Computation
🧠
Are We Quantum Computers, or Merely Clever Robots?
M. P. Fisher
Int. J. Mod. Phys. B, 31(07), 1743001 (2017)
📥 PDF
🌍
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun
Feynman, Goodstein, Goodstein
WW Norton & Company
📥 PDF
🔐
The Physics of Quantum Information
J. Preskill
arXiv:2208.08064
🔗 arXiv
⌛
The Early Days of Quantum Computation
P. W. Shor
arXiv:2208.09964
📥 PDF
🌀
Quantum Computations Without Definite Causal Structure
Chiribella, D'Ariano, Perinotti, Valiron
Physical Review A, 88(2), 022318 (2013)
📥 PDF
🔀
No Second Law of Entanglement Manipulation After All
Lami, L., Regula, B.
Nature Physics, 1-6 (2023)
📥 PDF
📐 Mathematics
📏
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences
E. P. Wigner
Mathematics and science (pp. 291-306)
📥 PDF
📏
The Effectiveness of Mathematics in Fundamental Physics
A. Zee
Mathematics and science (pp. 307-323)
📥 PDF
🔷
A Comparative Review of Recent Researches in Geometry
F. Klein
Bulletin of the AMS, 2(10), 215-249 (1893)
📥 PDF
🔷
Felix Klein and His "Erlanger Programm"
Birkhoff, G., Bennett, M. K.
(1979)
📥 PDF
🐦
Birds and Frogs
F. Dyson
Notices of the AMS, 56(2), 212-223 (2009)
📥 PDF
⏳
Missed Opportunities
F. Dyson
Bulletin of the AMS, 78(5), 635-652 (1972)
📥 PDF
🔄
A Conservative Revolutionary
F. Dyson
Modern Physics Letters A, 14(22), 1455-1459 (1999)
📥 PDF
🌟
Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation
F. Dyson
Science, 131(3414), 1667-1668 (1960)
📥 PDF
📊
Mathematics in the 20th Century
M. Atiyah
The American Mathematical Monthly, 108(7), 654-666 (2001)
📥 PDF
📐
George Mackey and His Work on Representation Theory and Foundations of Physics
V. S. Varadarajan
Contemporary Mathematics, 449, 417 (2007)
📥 PDF
🔢
Two Lectures on Number Theory, Past and Present
A. Weil
Enseign. Math, 20(2), 87-110 (1974)
📥 PDF
🎲
Conway's Mathematics After Conway
John, H. B., Goodman-Strauss
Notices of the AMS, 69(7) (2022)
📥 PDF
🎲
The Dawning of the Age of Stochasticity
David Mumford
(2000)
📥 PDF
📜 History & Philosophy of Science
🎭
Copenhagen (Historical Drama)
Michael Frayn
Premiered at 1998, London, England
📥 PDF
⏰
The Measure of Time
Henri Poincaré
The Foundations of Science, pp.222-234 (1913)
📥 PDF
🎙️
History of RSB Interview: Mehran Kardar
P. Charbonneau
CAPHÉS, ENS, Paris, 2023
📥 PDF
👤
Philip Anderson: Virtuoso of Condensed Matter
Andrew Zangwill
Physics Today 75, 3, 28 (2022)
📥 PDF
📖
Richard Feynman and the History of Superconductivity
Goodstein, D., Goodstein, J.
Physics in Perspective, 2(1), 30-47 (2000)
📥 PDF
📖
Stories from the Early Days of Quantum Mechanics
Rabi, I. I., Code, R. F.
Physics Today, 59(8), 36 (2006)
📥 PDF
🌟
Four Golden Lessons
S. Weinberg
Nature, 426(6965), 389-389 (2003)
📥 PDF
👤
Lev Davidovich Landau (1908-68)
E. M. Lifshitz
Elsevier
📥 PDF
👤
Recollections of L. D. Landau
A. A. Abrikosov
Elsevier
📥 PDF
📖
Landau's Theoretical Minimum, Landau's Seminar, ITEP in the Beginning of the 1950's
B. L. Ioffe
arXiv:0204295
🔗 arXiv
👤
Rolf W. Landauer 1927-1999: A Biographical Memoir
Bennett, C. H., Fowler, A. B.
National Academy of Sciences
📥 PDF
⏳
Time in Philosophy and in Physics: From Kant and Einstein to Gödel
H. Wang
Synthese, 102(2), 215-234 (1995)
📥 PDF
🔗
Historic Origin of Quantum Entanglement in Particle Physics
Yu, S. H. I.
Progress in Physics, 43(3), 57 (2023)
📥 PDF
🪢
Knots and Physics: Old Wine in New Bottles
Hirshfeld, A. C.
American Journal of Physics, 66(12), 1060-1066 (1998)
📥 PDF
🌊
Singular Perturbation Theory: A Viscous Flow Out of Göttingen
O'Malley Jr, R. E.
Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 42, 1-17 (2010)
📥 PDF
⚡
An Historico-Critical Account of Potential Energy: Is PE Really Real?
E. Hecht
The Physics Teacher, 41(8), 486-493 (2003)
📥 PDF
🎨
Experiments on Colour, as Perceived by the Eye
J. C. Maxwell
Royal Society of Edinburgh, 21(2), 275-298 (1855)
📥 PDF
🇨🇳 中文文章
📖
彭桓武先生对他三篇文章的评注
刘全慧
大学物理, 26(5), 1-1 (2007)
📥 PDF
⏰
时间为何不同于其他维度？
敖平
科学通报, 63(2), 119-126 (2018)
📥 PDF
🔬
通过金属化 σ 电子寻找新的高温超导体
高淼, 卢仲毅, 向涛
物理, 44(07), 421-426 (2015)
📥 PDF
🔊
"声子"的诞生
谢梦祥, 任捷
《物理》, 2022年第12期
🔗 微信
∫
微积术的发现与发展
陈省身
《宇宙》
🔗 微信
📚
朗道学派的那些大将和他们的著作
刘寄星
《物理》2022年第12期
🔗 微信
👤
沃纳·海森堡
杨振宁
科技文化
📥 PDF
📐
电磁场理论的 (外) 微分形式
思源
交通悟理微信公众号
🔗 微信
🎲
神奇的模式概率与 "鞅"
李硕彥
数学经纬
📥 PDF
⚔️
秩序与混沌：集合论的世纪斗争
陈泽晟
中国科学院哲学研究所微信公众号
🔗 微信
📐
杨振宁与当代数学
林开亮
"好玩的数学"微信公众号
🔗 微信
🏆
大卫·邵勒斯的治学和建树: 纯粹探索凌绝顶
敖平
科学通报
📥 PDF
🧬 Biology & Interdisciplinary
📡
A Mathematical Theory of Communication
C. E. Shannon
The Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3), 379-423 (1948)
📥 PDF
🧠
The Free-Energy Principle: A Unified Brain Theory?
K. Friston
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(2), 127-138 (2010)
📥 PDF
🧠
Physics, Computation, and Why Biology Looks So Different
J. J. Hopfield
Journal of Theoretical Biology, 171(1), 53-60 (1994)
📥 PDF
🧬
The Energy Landscapes and Motions of Proteins
Frauenfelder, Sligar, Wolynes
Science, 254(5038), 1598-1603 (1991)
📥 PDF
🧠
Neural Networks and Physical Systems with Emergent Collective Computational Abilities
J. J. Hopfield
PNAS, 79(8), 2554-2558 (1982)
📥 PDF
📈
Life's Universal Scaling Laws
West, G. B., Brown, J. H.
Physics Today, 57(9), 36-43 (2004)
📥 PDF
🧬
On the Origins of Life's Homochirality
Ozturk, S. F., Sasselov, D. D.
arXiv:2203.16011
🔗 arXiv
🧬
On the Origins of Life's Homochirality (PNAS)
Ozturk, S. F., Sasselov, D. D.
PNAS
📥 PDF
🧲
Homochirality and Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity
Bloom, Waldeck, Waldeck
PNAS, 119(34) (2022)
🔗 DOI
🧬
The Future of Quantum Biology
A. Marais
Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 15(148), 20180640 (2018)
📥 PDF
🌱
Improving Photosynthetic Efficiency for Greater Yield
Zhu, X. G., Long, S. P., Ort, D. R.
Annual Review of Plant Biology, 61, 235–261 (2010)
📥 PDF
📊 Methods & Statistics
🎲
The Monte Carlo Method
Metropolis, N., Ulam, S.
Journal of the American Statistical Association, 44(247), 335-341 (1949)
📥 PDF
📈
Power Laws in Physics
J. P. Sethna
Nature Reviews Physics, 4(8), 501-503 (2022)
📥 PDF
📊
What is Bayesian Statistics?
S. R. Eddy
Nature Biotechnology, 22(9), 1177-1178 (2004)
📥 PDF
📊
How Bayes' Theorem Helped Win the Second World War
D. Sebastian
Towards Data Science
🔗 Link
📌 Miscellaneous
🎓
How to Become a GOOD Theoretical Physicist
G. 't Hooft
Online Resource
🔗 Link
🌊
A Water Wave Analog of the Casimir Effect
Denardo, Puda, Larraza
American Journal of Physics, 77(12), 1095-1101 (2009)
📥 PDF
🔥
A Guide to Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Lieb, E. H., Yngvason, J.
Statistical Mechanics: Selecta of Elliott H. Lieb, 353-363
📥 PDF
🧊
Spin Glass
P. W. Anderson
Physics Today, 41(1), 9-11 (1988)
📥 PDF
🪢
Why Mathematicians Study Knots
D. S. Richeson
Quanta Magazine (2022)
🔗 Link
🏔️
A Path Less Taken to the Peak of the Math World
Kevin Hartnett
Quanta Magazine (2017)
🔗 Link
⚡
Sparks in the Brain: The Story of Ion Channels and Nerve Cells
B. Sakmann
Frontiers for Young Minds (2022)
🔗 Link
⚡
Ward-Takahashi Identity
Ward, J. C.; Takahashi, Y.
Phys. Rev. 78, 182 (1950); Nuovo Cim 6, 371–375 (1957)
📥 Ward PDF 📥 Takahashi PDF

📚 More to Come

This collection is continuously updated.
"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries."

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