On the theory of superconductivity

The phenomenon of superconductivity has so for defied all attempts of explanation since it was first discovered in 1911. Although two phenomenological theories have been put forward and proved very successful, yet no atomic theories based on quantum mechanics have proved adequate. In the present thesis a new theory is proposed which will be shown to account for most of the important properties of a superconductor. In this part we briefly review the experimental facts and the earlier theories respectively ~1 and ~2.