Celebrating the Life and Contributions of the World’s Third Revolution Scientist – Professor Amagh Nduka

A tribute to Professor Amagh Nduka, who died December 26, 2019 and will be laid to rest in his hometown on Saturday March 21, 2020.

Science has witnessed many monumental shifts in history. But only a few of these shifts can be called a revolution. For the record, three revolutions have been witnessed in science. The first is the Newtonian Revolution. It flourished from late 17^th Century to date and is based on the assumption that the speed of light is infinite and geometry, euclidean. The second, being the Einstenian Revolution, flourished from early 20^th Century to date and is based on the assumption that the speed of light is finite and geometry, pseudo-euclidean. It was expected that these theories should explain both causal and non-causal phenomena, but this was not so as both theories only explained causal phenomena. This then becomes apposite: what theory explains non-causal phenomena?

Within the first decade of the 21^st Century, Professor Amagh Nduka, world-renowned Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics, and former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, made a giant stride in science by creating a non-causal (chaotic) theory of natural phenomena called the Third Revolution Science. With this geometrical theory (quantum geometro-dynamics), Professor Amagh Nduka explained and constructed all of nature – including those things his colleagues and predecessors could not do for the past 200 years.

Come to think of it, who was Professor Amagh?

Born October 12 1942 in Amankalu, Igbere, in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, he attended Igbere Primary School and Hope Waddle Training Institution (Calabar) for his primary and secondary school education respectively. And through an American scholarship, he proceeded to the Western world, where he obtained Bachelor of Science degree (University of California, Berkerly, 1965); Masters of Science (Stanford University, 1967), and Doctorate degree in physics, under the supervision of Physics Nobel Laureate – Professor Subramanyan Chandrasekhar (University of Chicago, 1971).

Professor Nduka, who could not stand the colour discrimination in the West, against the wish of his teachers and colleagues, returned to Nigeria in 1974. He joined the services of the University of Ife as a Senior Lecturer in Physics (1974-81) before transferring to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, as the Pioneer Professor in the Department of Physics and Mathematics. Some of his career experiences are summarized: Research Scientist, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the Enrico Fermi Institute, Batavbia III USA (1970-71); Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign USA (1971-74); Senior Lecturer in Physics, University of Ife (1974-81); Member, Science Panel on Academic Standard in charge of Physics for the National Universities Commission (1980-85); Chief Moderator, Physics, Interim JAMB (1980-85); Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1981-2017); Dean, Postgraduate School, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1982-86); Visiting Senior Scientist, University of California, Berkley (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, California Institute of Technology, Pasedena, California (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, University of Chicago, Chicago III (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, International Centre of Theoretical Physics, Triester, Italy (1982-83); Visiting Senior Scientist, Columbia University, New York (1985); Visiting Senior Scientist, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (1985); Senior Traveling Fellow, Association of Commonwealth Universities (1985), and a host of others.

A former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1987-91), Professor Nduka held two professorships – one in Theoretical Physics and another in Applied Mathematics. He was a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Physics. In fact, he was among the first three Nigerians inducted into the Fellowship of this great institute in 1986. He was also a Member Emeritus of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the American Physical Society (APS). He published in leading journals in Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics. In fact, two of his works published in Applied Mathematics (The Geometrical Theory of Science, November 2012 and The Neutrino Mass, February 2013) earned him the Google Scholar of the year for 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Professor Nduka was known for his many outstanding contributions to science. Most profound is his theory: The Geometrical (Absolute) Theory of Science. This theory is the Third Revolution Science, and explains (theoretically and mathematically) nuclear physics, atomic physics, boson physics, nuclear fusion, astrophysics and elementary particle physics – areas of physics which its theorization has since the 1920’s remained static. The theory also provides, for the first time ever, explanations to boson and fermio-boson physics – areas which have eluded physicists since the inception of physical enquiry.

He created an entirely new mathematics called discrete geometry or quantum mathematics, with which arsenal he made yet another striking contribution by giving a formal theoretical determination of the mass of the neutrino. He also invented another mathematics called the 4-operator mathematics – a formal and elegant mathematics that unifies the classical theories of Newton, Einstein, Lagrange and Hamilton via the invariant operator theory of classical physics.

In a paper The Geometrical Theory of the Structure of Nuclei, Atoms and Molecules published in Applied Mathematics (August 2014), Professor Nduka gave a formal theory to the treatment of many-electron atoms, an area where the available treatment methods, the Schrondinger and Dirac based approximation methods, have failed to yield correct results. With this, A. Nduka solved the riddle for which his colleagues in atomic, nuclear and particle physics could not.  As if that was not enough, Professor Nduka, in 2015 gave a formal theory of fusion, the well known but unrealized solution to the global energy challenge, and at the same time, showed that its occurrence on earth is responsible for global warming and earthquake – two of the most well-documented natural phenomena whose origins are yet to be fully understood. His perspective overwhelmingly flawed the claim of environmental scientists that change in the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration is the sole cause of global warming, but attributed ultra high energy machines, such as particle accelerators operating in the terra energy range, as the cause of global warming and incessant earthquakes of great vehemence. Such machines, according to him, serve as earth’s secondary source of energy and they are the drivers of ultra high energy nuclear reactions here on earth similar in magnitude to those occurring in the sun and stars.

Not tired of making contributions, Professor Nduka in a paper Magnetic Monopoles (Applied Mathematics, February 2017) solved a riddle that has lasted for almost 200 years. He disproved the conclusion that ordinary matter consists of electric charges (electric monopoles) and not magnetic charges (magnetic monopoles), and showed that magnetic monopoles exists in nature even though they cannot be isolated. He also went further in a paper Magnetic Monopoles and the Quantum Theory of Magnetism in Matter (Applied Mathematics, January 2018) to give a microscopic theory of magnetic substances – an issue of fundamental and technological importance.

Professor Amagh Nduka was a highly sought scientist. He chose to remain in this country because of the love he had for Nigeria. He also wanted to prove to the world that Africans are good, respective of where they are – be it in a Nigerian or American university. Another reason why Professor Nduka returned to Nigeria is that he wanted to make Nigeria a world superpower, and this was why he chose the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), as there was an ongoing nuclear project in the university at the time and the then Vice Chancellor was traveling all over the world scouting for knowledgeable and high skilled Nigerians in the area. Unfortunately, this project was abandoned by the Federal Government.

Nobel Prize or not, Professor Amagh Nduka was a very great scientist. In his area of interest in theoretical physics, he is the only black (not Nigerian or even American) in its frontiers. If you are in doubt, check the references in some of his papers. He was named among the “100 Astrophysicists in the World” even though only a fringe part of his work borders on astrophysics. While commenting on his contributions to science, he said, “If I were to be in the US, with all these things I’m doing here in Nigeria [referring to his works], I would have won three Nobel Prizes in Science”. The question is: why did this professor not win a Nobel Prize in science? The Royal Swedish Academy of Science owes Nigeria and Africa at large, some explanations.

An honest and transparent man, he was the Chair man of the Special Taskforce Committee on the Supervision of Federal Government Projects in the nation during the Ibrahim Babangida Led Military Administration. For some people, this would have been a platform for personal enrichment, but not for him. He was also highly apolitical, and many of his friends who later became politicians can tell better.er.

Retirement has never been for distinguished scientists. Distinguished professors do not retire! Their services are always in demand. It was based on this premise that Professor Amagh Nduka, after an illustrious teaching career at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, joined the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, as Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics. This was where he was until his death in December 26, 2019.

As we mourn his demise, we do so with the happy knowledge that he lived a fulfilled life and left lasting legacies that have put Nigeria on the world map in science. According to him, “What we have done puts Nigeria as number one in science [referring to his works and contributions], and I’m the only authority in the world in it”.

I bid you farewell – Professor Amagh Nduka. May your journey be smooth. Although you did not receive the necessary accolades and honours that should have accrued to you, but I have this consolation for you: posterity will admire you; posterity will establish your theories.

CHIGOZIE UBANI

Coordinator, Science Nigeria Lectures

And Chairman, Global Science Development Initiatives