Ettore Majorana: The scientist and the man

Abstract

Ettore Majorana was the brightest Italian theoretical physicist of the XX century (actually, Enrico Fermi regarded him as the brightest in the world of his time, and compared him to Galileo and Newton), even if to some people Majorana is often known mainly for his mysterious disappearance, in 1938, when he was 31. In this paper, we present a panoramic view of the main scientific articles published by him, as well as their significance. We also briefly outline his life, the biographical data being based on letters, documents, testimonies discovered or collected by the author during more than four decades, and contained since 1986 in Recami's book quoted in the text. Finally, extensive information and comments are added with regard to the scientific manuscripts left unpublished by Majorana. Two pictures complete the paper.