Gustav Adolf Mie (29.09.1868-13.02.1957) was a German physicist. He was born in Rostock. He graduated from the University of Heidelberg (1891). He worked at a private school in Dresden, then at the Higher Technical School in Karlsruhe. In 1902—17 he was a professor at the University of Greifswald and from 1905 director of its Institute of Physics, in 1917—24 a professor at the University of Halle, and in 1924—35 a professor and director of the Institute of Physics of the University of Freiburg.
His work concerned electrodynamics, optics, the study of crystal structure, metal optics, the theory of relativity and gravitation, quantum theory and molecular physics. He studied electromagnetic waves between two parallel wires. He extended (1908) the theory of the scattering of light by small dielectric spheres (Mie scattering) and gave (1908) a rigorous solution for the diffraction of a plane monochromatic wave by a homogeneous sphere of arbitrary diameter. He developed the kinetic theory of monatomic bodies (1903). He studied the crystal structure of organic compounds by means of X-rays. Trying to develop Maxwell's theory within the framework of the theory of relativity, he made an attempt (1912—13) to create a complete theory of matter. He was the first to arrive at the idea of quantising the electromagnetic field.