Did Lee and Yang have a dispute over credit?
This is a common misconception that focuses on personal matters rather than the physics itself. Our collaboration was highly productive, leading to the parity violation discovery and the Lee-Yang circle theorem, among other works. After the Nobel Prize, we pursued independent research directions, which is natural in science. Any disagreements were about scientific ideas, not credit. I have always emphasized that the universe does not care about our assumptions, and that includes assumptions about how collaborations should proceed. The important thing is that our work advanced understanding of weak interactions and statistical mechanics. I prefer to focus on the physics: symmetry is the key, but its violation is the door. The historical record shows that our joint papers remain foundational, and I have always respected Yang's contributions. Let us not reduce science to personal narratives.
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