physics

Holger Bech Nielsen

Holger Bech Nielsen is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Holger Bech Nielsen rather than just read about it. In short: Holger Bech Nielsen (born 25 August 1941) is a Danish theoretical physicist and professor emeritus at the Niels Bohr Institute, at the University of Copenhagen, where he started studying physics in 1961. Work Nielsen has made original contributions to theoretical particle physics, specifically in the field of string theory.

Key takeaways

Holger Bech Nielsen belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Holger Bech Nielsen to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Holger Bech Nielsen from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Work Nielsen has made original contributions to theoretical particle physics, specifically in the field of string theory. Independently of Yoichiro Nambu and Leonard Susskind, he was the first to propose that the Veneziano model was actually a theory of strings, leading him to be considered among the fathers of string theory. He was awarded the Humboldt Prize in 2001 for his research. Several physics concepts are named after him, e.g. Nielsen–Olesen vortex and the Nielsen-Ninomiya no-go theorem for representing chiral fermions on the lattice. In the original dual-models, which later would be recognized as the origins of string theory, the Koba–Nielsen variables are also named after him and his collaborator Ziro Koba. Nielsen is known in Denmark for his enthusiastic public lectures on physics and string theory, and he is often interviewed in daily news, especially on matters regarding particle physics. In a series of papers uploaded to arXiv in 2009, Nielsen and fellow physicist Masao Ninomiya proposed a radical theory to explain the seemingly improbable series of failures preventing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from becoming operational. The collider was intended to be used to find evidence of the hypothetical Higgs boson particle. They suggested that the particle might be so abhorrent to nature that its creation would ripple backward through time and stop the collider before it could create one, in a fashion similar to the time travel Grandfather paradox. Subsequently, the LHC claimed the discovery of Higgs boson on 4 July 2012. Nielsen is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Holger Bech Nielsen

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Holger Bech Nielsen claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Holger Bech Nielsen before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Holger Bech Nielsen ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Holger Bech Nielsen

In research: Holger Bech Nielsen appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Holger Bech Nielsen in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Holger Bech Nielsen is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1941 births, 21st-century Danish physicists, Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Holger Bech Nielsen outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Holger Bech Nielsen in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Holger Bech Nielsen means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Holger Bech Nielsen out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Holger Bech Nielsen in simple terms?

Holger Bech Nielsen (born 25 August 1941) is a Danish theoretical physicist and professor emeritus at the Niels Bohr Institute, at the University of Copenhagen, where he started studying physics in 1961. Work Nielsen has made original contributions to theoretical particle physics, specifically in t…

Why does Holger Bech Nielsen matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Holger Bech Nielsen?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Holger Bech Nielsen.