Tsung-Dao Lee (born 25.02.1926) is an American theoretical physicist and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was born in Shanghai. He graduated from the universities of Peking and Chicago (1950). In 1950-51 he worked at the University of California, in 1951—53 and 1960—63 at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and from 1953 at Columbia University (professor from 1956).
His research was in the field of quantum field theory, the theory of elementary particles, nuclear physics, statistical mechanics, hydrodynamics and astrophysics. In 1954 he proposed an exactly solvable model of quantum field theory (the Lee model), important for the development of the ideas connected with an indefinite metric. In 1956, together with C. Yang, he suggested that parity is not conserved in weak processes (the Nobel Prize, 1957). In 1957, together with C. Yang and R. Oehme, he postulated that in beta decay not only parity but also charge conjugation is not conserved, and independently of others he put forward the hypothesis of the conservation of combined parity in weak interactions. Together with C. Yang he put forward the hypothesis (1960) that the weak interactions are due to an intermediate vector boson, and postulated its properties. In 1967, together with others, he gave the most consistent formulation of the vector dominance model (the theory of gauge invariance).
The A. Einstein Medal (1957).