Contributor info: Prof. Gerald Goldin

Gerald A. Goldin

SciPost Phys. Proc. 14, 005 (2023) · published 23 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Prediction of "anyons," often attributed exclusively to Wilczek, came first from Leinaas and Myrheim in 1977, and independently from Goldin, Menikoff, and Sharp in 1980-81. In 2020, experimentalists successfully created anyonic excitations. This paper discusses why the possibility of quantum particles in two-dimensional space with intermediate exchange statistics eluded physicists for so long after bosons and fermions were understood. The history suggests ideas for the preparation of future researchers. I conclude by addressing failures to attribute scientific achievements accurately, both inadvertent and intentional. Such practices disproportionately hurt women and minorities in physics.