Arthur Wightman

American physicist (1922-2013)
Person human Q712042
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Arthur Wightman

Summary

Arthur Wightman is a human[1]. His place of birth was Rochester[2]. He was born on March 30, 1922[3]. He passed away in Edison[4]. He died on January 13, 2013[5]. He worked as a physicist[6], university teacher[7], and mathematician[8]. He ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (71 views/month, #7,279 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Born in Rochester[2], Arthur Wightman…
  • Arthur Wightman passed away in Edison[4].
  • Arthur Wightman was born on March 30, 1922[3].
  • Arthur Wightman died on January 13, 2013[5].
  • Arthur Wightman held citizenship in United States[10].
  • Arthur Wightman worked as a physicist[6].
  • Arthur Wightman's professions included university teacher[7].
  • Arthur Wightman's professions included mathematician[8].
  • Arthur Wightman was employed by Princeton University[11].
  • Arthur Wightman's education included a stint at Princeton University[12].
  • Arthur Wightman's doctoral advisor was John Archibald Wheeler[13].
  • Arthur Wightman received the Henri Poincaré Prize[14].
  • Arthur Wightman received the Josiah Willard Gibbs Lectureship[15].
  • Arthur Wightman received the Fellow of the American Physical Society[16].
  • Arthur Wightman received the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics[17].
  • Arthur Wightman was a member of National Academy of Sciences[18].
  • Arthur Wightman was a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences[19].
  • Arthur Wightman was a member of American Physical Society[20].
  • Arthur Wightman is recorded as male[21].
  • Arthur Wightman's instance of is recorded as human[22].
  • Arthur Wightman supervised Alan Sokal as a doctoral student[23].
  • Arthur Wightman supervised Oscar Lanford as a doctoral student[24].
  • Arthur Wightman supervised Stephen Fulling as a doctoral student[25].
  • Arthur Wightman supervised John S. Lew as a doctoral student[26].
  • Arthur Wightman supervised Barry Simon as a doctoral student[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Arthur Wightman's place of birth was Rochester[2]. He was born on March 30, 1922[3].

Education

Arthur Wightman was educated at Princeton University[12]. His doctoral advisor was John Archibald Wheeler[13].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include physicist[6], university teacher[7], and mathematician[8]. Among Arthur Wightman's employers was Princeton University[11]. Doctoral students include Alan Sokal[23], a mathematician[28], b. 1955[29], of United States[30], specialised in physics[31]; Oscar Lanford[24], a mathematician[32], 1940–2013[33], of United States[34], awarded the Fellow of the American Mathematical Society[35]; Stephen Fulling[25], a university teacher[36], b. 1945[37], of United States[38], awarded the Fellow of the American Physical Society[39]; John S. Lew[26], a mathematician[40], b. 1934[41]; Barry Simon[27], a mathematician[42], b. 1946[43], of United States[44], awarded the Henri Poincaré Prize[45], specialised in mathematics[46]; and Charles M. Newman[47], a mathematician[48], b. 1946[49], of United States[50], awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship[51], specialised in mathematical physics[52].

Recognition

Awards received include Henri Poincaré Prize[14], a science award[53], in France[54], founded in 1997[55]; Josiah Willard Gibbs Lectureship[15], an award[56], in United States[57], founded in 1923[58]; Fellow of the American Physical Society[16], a fellowship award[59]; and Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics[17], a science award[60], in United States[61], founded in 1959[62].

Death and Burial

Arthur Wightman died on January 13, 2013[5]. He passed away in Edison[4].

Works and Contributions

Things named for Arthur Wightman include Wightman axioms[63].

Why It Matters

Arthur Wightman ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (71 views/month, #7,279 of 1,000,298).[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 13 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[64] He is known by 24 alternative names across languages and contexts.[65]

He is credited with the discovery of superselection[66]. Entities named for him include Wightman axioms[63].

His notable doctoral advisees include Alan Sokal[67], a mathematician[68], b. 1955[69], of United States[70], specialised in physics[71]; Arthur Jaffe[72], a mathematician[73], b. 1937[74], of United States[75], awarded the Marshall Scholarship[76], specialised in mathematical physics[77]; Jerrold E. Marsden[78], a mathematician[79], 1942–2010[80], of Canada[81], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[82], specialised in mathematics[83]; Barry Simon[84], a mathematician[85], b. 1946[86], of United States[87], awarded the Henri Poincaré Prize[88], specialised in mathematics[89]; Huzihiro Araki[90], a mathematician[91], 1932–2022[92], of Japan[93], awarded the Henri Poincaré Prize[94], specialised in mathematics[95]; and Oscar Lanford[96], a mathematician[97], 1940–2013[98], of United States[99], awarded the Fellow of the American Mathematical Society[100].

FAQs

Where was Arthur Wightman born?

Born in Rochester[2], Arthur Wightman…

Where did Arthur Wightman die?

Arthur Wightman passed away in Edison[4].

What did Arthur Wightman do for work?

Arthur Wightman worked as physicist[6], university teacher[7], and mathematician[8].

Where did Arthur Wightman go to school?

Arthur Wightman was educated at Princeton University[12].

What awards did Arthur Wightman receive?

Honors received include Henri Poincaré Prize[14], Josiah Willard Gibbs Lectureship[15], Fellow of the American Physical Society[16], and Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics[17].

What did Arthur Wightman discover?

Arthur Wightman is credited as discoverer of superselection[66].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . princeton.edu. princeton.edu. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  3. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [22] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  6. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [6] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  8. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [14] ↑ . iamp.org. iamp.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  12. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [17] ↑ . aps.org. Retrieved . aps.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  15. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  16. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  18. [25] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  19. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  20. [27] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  21. [47] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  22. [18] ↑ . nasonline.org. nasonline.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  23. [19] ↑ . amacad.org. amacad.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [20] ↑ . aps.org. aps.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  25. [3] ↑ . SNAC. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  26. [5] ↑ . SNAC. Retrieved . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [66] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [67] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [72] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [78] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [84] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [90] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [96] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [63] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [53] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [54] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [55] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [56] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [57] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [58] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [59] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [60] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [61] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [62] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [28] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [29] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [30] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [31] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [32] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [33] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [34] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [35] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [36] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [37] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [38] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [39] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [40] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [41] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [42] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [43] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [44] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [45] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [46] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [48] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [49] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [50] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [51] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [52] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [68] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [69] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [70] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [71] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [73] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [74] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [75] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  42. [76] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  43. [77] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  44. [79] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  45. [80] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  46. [81] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  47. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  48. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  49. [85] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  50. [86] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  51. [87] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  52. [88] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  53. [89] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  54. [91] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  55. [92] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  56. [93] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  57. [94] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  58. [95] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  59. [97] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  60. [98] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  61. [99] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  62. [100] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [64] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [65] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Arthur Wightman. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/arthur-wightman
MLA “Arthur Wightman.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 7 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/arthur-wightman.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_arthur-wightman_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Arthur Wightman}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/arthur-wightman}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-07}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 2d ago · Printstream · 2026-10-06 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Wikipedia languages → ['ar', 'arz', 'azb', 'bn', 'da', 'de', 'en', 'es', 'fa', 'fr', 'ht', 'it', 'ja',
    Claims rich → —
    "/* wbeditentity-update-languages-short:0||de */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/57984|batch #57984]]: Import missing aliases from dewiki 1/3"
  2. 20w ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Award received → —
    Place of death → Edison
    Maintained by wikiproject → WikiProject Mathematics
    Doctoral student → Alan Sokal, Oscar Lanford, Stephen Fulling +22
    + 21 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32149|batch #32149]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (33)"
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