Erik Gustav Rydberg (17.11.1902-2.01.1980) was a Swedish physicist and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and in 1959 —72 its secretary. He was born in Stockholm. He graduated from Stockholm University (1923). In 1924—31 he worked at the Nobel Institute, in 1931—36 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 1936—40 at the General Electric Company (Sweden). In 1940 — 45 he was professor at the Institute of Technology in Gothenburg, and in 1945 — 59 director of the Institute of Metals Research (Stockholm).
His work was in solid-state physics, the electron theory of metals and electron emission.
In 1970 — 72 he was president of the European Physical Society.