Correspondence Principle

The correspondence principle is generally known as the Bohr correspondence principle (CP), for Niels Bohr. It is considered one of Bohr’s greatest contributions to physics, along with his derivation of the Balmer formula. Bohr’s leading idea is that classical physics, though limited in scope, is indispensable for the understanding of quantum physics. The idea that old science is “indispensable” to the understanding of new science is in fact the main theme in using the concept of correspondence; therefore, the CP can be defined as the principle by which new theories of science (physics in particular) can relate to previously accepted theories in the field by means of approximation at a certain limit. Historically, Max Planck had introduced the concept in 1906. Bohr’s first handling of ...