physics

Richard E. Cutkosky

Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Edwin Cutkosky (29 July 1928 – 17 June 1993) was a physicist, best known for the Cutkosky cutting rules in quantum field theory, which give a simple way to calculate the discontinuity of the scattering amplitude by Feynman diagrams. Richard Edwin Cutkowsky was born in Minneapolis as son of Oscar F. and Edna M.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Richard Edwin Cutkosky (29 July 1928 – 17 June 1993) was a physicist, best known for the Cutkosky cutting rules in quantum field theory, which give a simple way to calculate the discontinuity of the scattering amplitude by Feynman diagrams. Richard Edwin Cutkowsky was born in Minneapolis as son of Oscar F. and Edna M. (Nelson) Cutkosky. His entire career was related to Carnegie, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the Carnegie Institute of Technology he made his Bachelor and Master of Science both in 1950, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in 1953. 1954-1961 he was assistant professor of physics at the Carnegie Mellon University, professor since 1961 and the first Buhl professor since 1963 until his death in 1993. He was a fellow of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was married with Patricia A. Klepfer, August 28,1952. Children: Mark, Carol, Martha.

Footnotes

Publications R. E. Cutkosky (1960), "Singularities and Discontinuities of Feynman Amplitudes", J. Math. Phys., 1 (5): 429, Bibcode:1960JMP.....1..429C, doi:10.1063/1.1703676

References Wolfenstein, Lincoln (April 1994). "Richard E. Cutkosky". Physics Today. 47 (4): 75–76. Bibcode:1994PhT....47d..75W. doi:10.1063/1.2808481. An obituary. Physics department news of CMU, Bob Kramer (1993), Interactions (PDF), p. 2, archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04, retrieved 2014-06-23.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard E. Cutkosky

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky

In research: Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky 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: Richard E. Cutkosky is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1928 births, 1993 deaths, 20th-century American physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard E. Cutkosky in simple terms?

Why does Richard E. Cutkosky 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 Richard E. Cutkosky?

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 Richard E. Cutkosky.