Richard Feynman made significant contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, including his formulation of the path integral formulation. However, it's important to note that Feynman's approach was not universally rejected by physicists. Many physicists recognized the value and potential of his ideas, and they were gradually accepted and incorporated into the field of quantum mechanics over time.
Initially, Feynman's approach faced some skepticism and resistance for a few reasons:
Mathematical Formalism: Feynman's path integral formulation introduced new mathematical techniques, such as the summation over all possible paths, which were not immediately familiar to many physicists. The formalism involved integrals over complex quantities and required a new mathematical framework called functional integrals. Some physicists found these mathematical concepts challenging and unfamiliar at first.
Interpretational Issues: Feynman's approach brought a different perspective to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. It emphasized the importance of paths and histories of particles, suggesting that particles could take all possible paths simultaneously and interfere with each other. This perspective raised questions and debates about the fundamental nature of particles, wave-particle duality, and the interpretation of quantum probabilities.
Experimental Verification: Initially, Feynman's path integral formulation did not offer any distinct predictions that differed significantly from other formulations of quantum mechanics. As a result, some physicists may have been hesitant to adopt the new approach without clear experimental evidence or advantages over existing methods.
Despite these initial challenges, Feynman's path integral formulation gradually gained acceptance and appreciation within the physics community. Over time, physicists recognized the elegance and computational power of the approach, and it has been successfully applied in various areas of quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and condensed matter physics. Today, path integrals are widely used and considered a valuable tool for understanding and calculating quantum phenomena. It's important to note that scientific progress often involves a gradual acceptance of new ideas and concepts as their value becomes more apparent through experimentation, theoretical development, and collaboration among scientists.