# Alpha over 2 pi ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 24, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418 "2020-02-24T02:01:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/1 "2020-02-24T02:01:21Z")

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I was walking through a cemetery today. On one of the gravestones, above the deceased’s name, was the equation alpha over 2 pi (in Greek symbols, obviously). What might this mean?

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/2 "2020-02-24T02:12:22Z")

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I Googled the name of the deceased and found the answer! He was [Julian Schwinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Schwinger). Wikipedia says

> [@](#):
>
> Schwinger died of pancreatic cancer. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery; α 2 π {\displaystyle {\frac {\alpha }{2\pi }}} {\frac {\alpha }{2\pi }}, where α {\displaystyle \alpha } \alpha is the fine structure constant, is engraved above his name on his tombstone. These symbols refer to his calculation of the correction (“anomalous”) to the magnetic moment of the electron.

Pretty cool!

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**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/3 "2020-02-24T12:29:41Z")

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When the OP answers his/her own question in GQ (in the first post no less), it’s like observing a black hole indirectly through Hawking radiation.

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**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/4 "2020-02-24T13:44:31Z")

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> [@ratatoskK](#):
>
> On one of the gravestones, above the deceased’s name, was the equation alpha over 2 pi (in Greek symbols, obviously).

Nitpick: That’s an expression, not an equation. An equation requires an equals sign.

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/5 "2020-02-24T13:47:43Z")

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> [@ratatoskK](#):
>
> I Googled the name of the deceased and found the answer! He was [Julian Schwinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Schwinger). Wikipedia says  
> Pretty cool!

Cool. Schwinger doesn’t get the pop-culture appreciation that Feynman does, but was pretty darn impressive all the same.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alpha-over-2-pi/848418/6 "2020-02-24T14:20:51Z")

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I was going to start my speculation with “Well, alpha could be the Fine Structure Constant, but very few people would have that on their tombstone…”. But, well, Schwinger is definitely one of those few.