Eugene Wigner

Hungarian-American physicist and mathematician (1902–1995)

Fame64.7
Momentum0.0
Scientists rank#180

Source-basedFalling

Fame64.7
Momentum0.0
Scientists rank#180
Wikipedia11.5K

Lived 1902–1995, aged 93

ScientistsScientist

Wikipedia
87 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1902–1995
Aged 93
Awards
14
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He brought group theory into physics and helped design the first reactors to turn uranium into plutonium — then spent his later years wondering why mathematics works so unreasonably well at describing the universe.

Biography

About

Born in Hungary in 1902, Wigner studied at the Technical Hochschule Berlin and worked under Hilbert at Göttingen before Princeton recruited him in 1930. With Hermann Weyl, he introduced group theory and symmetry principles into physics, work that earned him the 1963 Nobel Prize for contributions to atomic nucleus and elementary particle theory. In 1939 he sat in the meeting with Szilard and Einstein that produced the letter prompting Roosevelt to investigate nuclear weapons; during the Manhattan Project he led the team designing reactors to convert uranium into weapons-grade plutonium, though…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Eugene Wigner

Eugene Wigner

said1988

Where in the Schrödinger equation do you put the joy of being alive?

— As quoted by Freeman Dyson from a private conversation, Infinite in All Directions (1988)

Eugene Wigner

saidFeb 1960

A possible explanation of the physicist's use of mathematics to formulate his laws of nature is that he is a somewhat irresponsible person.

— "The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences," Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics, February 1960.

Eugene Wigner

saidFeb 1960

The miracle of the appropriateness of the language of mathematics for the formulation of the laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve.

— "The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences," Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics, February 1960,

Eugene Wigner

said1903

A deep sense of humor and an unusual ability for telling stories and jokes endeared Johnny even to casual acquaintances. He could be blunt when necessary, but was never pompous.

— Biographical memoir: "John von Neumann (1903 - 1957)" in Year book of the American Philosophical Society (1958); later in Symmetries and

Eugene Wigner

saidundated