HumanistHippy
HumanistHippy t1_j9gs3bl wrote
Reply to How did Paul Dirac predict the existence of a positron before the actual discovery? by bazongaenthusiast
It was the result of his equation that combined quantum mechanics with special relativity in order to describe the behavior of an electron moving at a relativistic speed.
The equation necessitated a "positron" mathematically. Unless the math was incorrect (which it wasn't), the "positron" had to be there even if we were unable to observe it at the time.
Source: CERN
HumanistHippy t1_j9jv1ws wrote
Reply to comment by shimadon in How did Paul Dirac predict the existence of a positron before the actual discovery? by bazongaenthusiast
Fair point. Thanks for the clarification!