Shang-keng Ma Papers
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Copyright 2005
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Descriptive Summary
Languages:
English
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: Shang-keng Ma Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0100
Physical Description:
2.8 Linear feet
(7 archives boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1966-1983
Abstract: The papers of Shang-keng Ma document Professor Ma's professional career at the University of California, San Diego and his
standing in the international community of theoretical particle physicists. The papers cover the years 1966-1983 and are restricted
to Ma's professional life.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Shang-keng Ma Papers are a record of Professor Ma's professional career at the University of California, San Diego and
his standing in the international community of theoretical particle physicists. Covering the years 1966-1983, the collection
is arranged in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHY, 2) ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS, 3) CORRESPONDENCE, 4) SUBJECT FILES, 5) NOTES, 6)
TEACHING MATERIALS, and 7) PUBLICATIONS.
SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY holds a single document called "Remembering Shang-keng Ma," a memorial pamphlet containing a brief biography of
Ma and remembrances by family members, colleagues and friends from all over the world recognizing his scientific achievements
and personal strengths.
SERIES 2: ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS
This series contains Ma's bibliographies, departmental biographies and promotions, curriculum vitae, notices of doctoral
committee assignments, and interdepartmental memos.
SERIES 3: CORRESPONDENCE
Early CORRESPONDENCE is sorted by topic into "general" and "research" categories, then arranged chronologically. Ma's practice
after 1979 of filing his correspondence together regardless of subject has been maintained.
General correspondence contains Ma's letters to and from researchers and visiting professors he sponsored, colleagues at
other universities, and the administrators of his department. In addition, this subseries includes Ma's letters to editors
and publishers of scientific journals in his capacity as a referee. Also included are Ma's recommendation of Bernd Matthias
for a Nobel Prize in physics and a letter to Ma's congressman protesting the violation of human rights in Israel.
Research correspondence is composed of letters from physicists who followed Ma's research closely and asked him specific
questions regarding his calculations and findings. Ma's responses are not included in the collection. Correspondence regarding
Ma's articles and books can be found in the PUBLICATIONS SERIES.
SERIES 4: SUBJECT FILES
The SUBJECT FILES series is arranged alphabetically by general subject titles. Chinese Issues contains "open letters" to
President Nixon and the UCSD student paper protesting the United States' intention to give the Ryukyu Islands off the coast
of China to the government of Japan. Also here is a letter widely circulated to faculty members of Chinese descent from the
Chinese Students Association in Houston. Grant files contain Ma's records of his Sloan fellowship, the NSF award which funded
the writing of
Statistical Mechanics in Chinese, and other grant applications and materials. Visiting Professors and Researchers files contain letters and forms
inviting and arranging collaboration at UCSD with scientists from other countries, including Pierre Pfeuty, Amnon Aharoney,
Yoseph Imry, and Gene Mazenko.
SERIES 5: NOTES
NOTES contains seven folders of undated note pads containing Ma's calculations.
SERIES 6: TEACHING MATERIALS
Professor Ma's teaching materials originally included numerous mimeographs of quizzes, tests, and homework problems. One
copy of each was retained in the collection. Ma taught graduate courses in "Theoretical Mechanics" and "Many-body Theory,"
and undergraduate courses in "Thermal Physics," Natural Science," and "Science and Technology." His course materials, arranged
by class in chronological order, contain tests, homework problems, handouts, some lecture notes, and teaching evaluations
completed by his students. One folder contains materials from Ma's sabbatical at Tsing Hua University in Taiwan--an outline
for his book,
Statistical Mechanics, and course materials he used there.
SERIES 7: PUBLICATIONS
This series is arranged in two subseries: A) Writings and B) Correspondence.
A) Writings includes Ma's doctoral thesis, original manuscripts, two unpublished articles and typescript drafts of his books,
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena and
Statistical Mechanics.
Correspondence holds reviews of the first book, letters to editors, to referees and to the English translator of
Statistical Mechanics. Originally, articles in the PUBLICATIONS series were organized chronologically by title, each folder containing numerous
reprints, photocopies, and occasionally, related correspondence. Photocopies and most reprints have been removed from the
collection. Original drafts and unpublished articles have been retained. Related correspondence has been consolidated into
a few folders except for book-related correspondence, which is kept separate.
Biography
Shang-keng Ma (9/24/40-11/24/83) was born in Chungking, China, and came to the United States in 1959. He earned degrees in
physics from the University of California, Berkeley (B.A. 1962 and M.A. 1966). In 1966 Ma joined the University of California,
San Diego physics department as an assistant researcher in Keith Brueckner's research group. He was promoted to faculty status
in 1967 and remained with the physics department until his death in 1983.
During his career at UCSD, Ma was also a visiting professor at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study (1968-1969 and 1970),
at Cornell University (1972), at the University of California, Berkeley (1973-1974), at CEN Saclay in France, at Tsing Hua
University, Taiwan (1977-1978 and 1981), and at IBM - Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York (1981). It was
at Cornell that Ma became involved in the work for which he won the greatest acclaim: amplification and extension of Kenneth
Wilson's pioneering work in renormalization group theory of critical phenomena. Renormalization group theory (RG) is applicable
to many areas within theoretical physics; Ma focused on its applications to critical phenomena.
Critical phenomena are highly unusual. Many substances have phase transitions that are commonly observable, such as the transition
of water to steam. Critical phenomena involve phase transitions that, under certain circumstances, exhibit unique characteristics.
Water, for example, can appear as a milky and turgid substance, given the presence of specific values of critical exponents.
Five critical exponents, or factors, give rise to the diversity of critical phenomena observed by physicists in such areas
as fluid and ferromagnetic systems. The study of critical phenomena has focused on determining the quantitative value of these
factors. RG is the first theory that has been able to predict quantitative values for each of the critical exponents. Ma's
work between 1972 and 1976, which culminated in the publication of his book
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena (1976), provided a much-needed introduction and clarification of the application of renormalization group theory to the study
of critical phenomena. During his research at CEN Saclay, Ma developed the Monte Carlo renormalization group technique, combining
two previously unrelated techniques into a single tool that is now commonly used in the quantitative study of critical phenomena.
Ma's career reflects a commitment to the importance of pedagogy. He wrote
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena as a textbook for graduate students. Later, Ma set aside his study of critical phenomena in order to write another physics
textbook, this time in Chinese. This undertaking reflects Ma's interest in "the development of the Chinese language for use
in modern science...." He noted in an application for a Guggenheim grant that the lack of Chinese-language texts seriously
limited Chinese students' acquisition of scientific knowledge, reducing science classes to murky discussions of imprecisely
understood concepts and rote memorization of formulae. Ma believed that writing a textbook in Chinese would make a dual contribution.
It would introduce (old as well as new) terminology that was at once scientifically correct and intelligible in Chinese, and
it would introduce new developments in science to the Chinese-speaking world. Surprisingly,
Statistical Mechanics, which appeared in English in 1985, does not include discussion of Ma's work on renormalization group theory or critical
phenomena.
Publication Rights
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Preferred Citation
Shang-keng Ma Papers, MSS 100. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquisition Information
Acquired 1988.
OFF-SITE STORAGE
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Physics -- Study and teaching
Physicists -- Biography
Mathematical physics
Renormalization group
Particles (Nuclear physics) -- Research
Critical phenomena (Physics)
Wilson, Kenneth G. (Kenneth Geddes), 1936-2013 -- Correspondence
De Dominicis, Cirano -- Correspondence
Amit, D. J., 1938-2007 -- Correspondence
University of California, San Diego -- Faculty -- Archives
Ma, Shanggeng, 1940-1983 -- Archives
University of California, San Diego -- History -- Archives
University of California, San Diego. Department of Physics -- Archives
Box 1, Folder 1
"Remembering Shang-keng Ma" - Memorial pamphlet
1983
Box 1, Folder 3
Bibliographies, CV's, promotions
Box 1, Folder 10
Sloan Fellowship
1970 - 1976
Box 2, Folder 1
National Science Foundation
1979 - 1983
Box 2, Folder 2
Guggenheim Foundation - Proposals, applications
Visiting Professors, Researchers
Box 2, Folder 7
Imry, Mazenko, Pfeuty, Prentiss, Rasolt
Box 2, Folder 8-10
Miscellaneous notes
undated
Box 3, Folder 1-4
Miscellaneous notes
undated
Box 4, Folder 1
Physics 236 - Many Body Theory
Winter 1970, 1971
Box 4, Folder 2
Physics 224 - Advanced Quantum Mechanics
Spring 1970
Box 4, Folder 3
Physics - Natural Science 2A
Winter 1971
Box 4, Folder 5
Physics 230 - Helium
Fall 1971, Winter 1979
Box 4, Folder 5-6
Physics 200A - Theoretical Mechanics
Fall 1971, 1972
Box 4, Folder 7
Departmental exams
1971 - 1979
Box 4, Folder 8
Teaching evaluations
1971 - 1973
Box 4, Folder 9
Physics 200B - Theoretical Mechanics
Winter 1973
Box 4, Folder 10
Physics - Natural Science 2B
Spring 1973
Box 4, Folder 11
Physics - Natural Science 1E/1EL
Spring 1974
Box 4, Folder 12
Physics 140A - Thermal Physics
Fall 1975, 1976
Box 5, Folder 1-4
Science and Technology 15C
1975
Box 5, Folder 5
Physics 140B - Thermal Physics
Winter 1976
Box 5, Folder 6
National Tsing-Hua University - Visiting Chair
1977 - 1978
Box 5, Folder 7
Physics 210A - Statistical Mechanics
Winter 1980, 1982
Box 5, Folder 8
Physics 210B - Statistical Mechanics
Winter 1980
Box 5, Folder 9
Physics 211 - Solid State Physics
Winter 1980, 1982
Box 5, Folder 10
Physics 255 - Theoretical Solid State Physics Seminar
Spring 1980
Box 5, Folder 11
Physics 203B - Advanced Classical Electrodynamics
Spring 1982
Box 6, Folder 1
Correlations of Photons from a Thermal Source - Thesis
1966
Box 6, Folder 2
Correlation Energy of an Electron Gas with Varying High Density
1967
Box 6, Folder 3
Second Sound in a Low Temperature Weakly Interacting Bose Gas
1971
Box 6, Folder 4
Transverse Waves in a Weakly Interacting Bose Gas
1972
Box 6, Folder 5
Electron Motion in a Random Potential and Critical Phenomena for n=0
1973
Box 6, Folder 6
Renormalization in the Large N-Limit
1973
Box 6, Folder 8
Random Field Instability of the Ordered State of Continous Symmetry
1975
Box 6, Folder 9
Effects of Random Impurities on Long Range Order
1978
Box 6, Folder 10
Dynamics of a Vector Spinglass Model Calculation of Entropy by Coincidence Count
1980
Box 6, Folder 12
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena - Chapters 1-5
1976
Box 7, Folder 1-3
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena - Chapters 6-14
1976
Box 7, Folder 4
Statistical Mechanics
1983
Box 7, Folder 5
Mailing list for reprints
Box 7, Folder 8
Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena
1974 - 1980
Box 7, Folder 9
Statistical Mechanics
1983
