= John Michael Kosterlitz
{c}
{tag=Physicist}
= J. Michael Kosterlitz
{c}
{synonym}
= J. M. Kosterlitz
{c}
{synonym}
= Michael Kosterlitz
{c}
{synonym}
A theoretical <condensed matter physicist> who explained how topological defects can control a <phase transition> in two dimensions. In the <Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition>, binding or unbinding of vortex pairs changes long-distance correlations without conventional long-range order. His account connects a defect's energy and entropy to the behavior of an entire many-particle system.<Topological Defects and Phase Transitions by John Michael Kosterlitz>[Nobel lecture: vortex binding, dimensionality and transition mechanism]{ref}
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