It took more than seventy years to fully understand the French mathematician's first memoire (published in 1846) which formulated the famous 'Galois theory' concerning the solvability of algebraic equations by radicals, from which group theory would follow. Obscurities in his other writings - memoires and numerous fragments of extant papers - persist and his ideas challenge mathematicians to this day. Thus scholars will welcome those chapters devoted specifically to explicating all aspects of Galois' work.
Evariste Galois' short life was lived against the turbulent background of the restoration of the Bourbons to the throne of France, the 1830 revolution in Paris and the accession of Louis-Phillipe. This new and scrupulously researched biography of the founder of modern algebra sheds much light on a life led with great intensity and a death met tragically under dark circumstances. Sorting speculation from documented fact, it offers the fullest and most exacting account ever written of Galois' life and work. It took more than seventy years to fully understand the French mathematician's first mémoire (published in 1846) which formulated the famous "Galois theory" concerning the solvability of algebraic equations by radicals, from which group theory would follow. Obscurities in his other writings - mémoires and numerous fragments of extant papers - persist and his ideas challenge mathematicians to this day. Thus scholars will welcome those chapters devoted specifically to explicating all aspects of Galois' work. A comprehensive bibliography enumerates studies by and also those about the mathematician.
During the nineteenth century, much of the modern scientific enterprise took shape: scientific disciplines were formed, institutions and communities were founded, and unprecedented applications to and interactions with other aspects of society and culture occurred. In this book, eleven leading historians of science assess what their field has taught us about this exciting time and identify issues that remain unexamined or require reconsideration. They treat both scientific disciplines—biology, physics, chemistry, the earth sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences—in their specific intellectual and sociocultural contexts as well as the broader topics of science and medicine; science and religion; scientific institutions and communities; and science, technology, and industry. Providing a much-needed overview and analysis of a rapidly expanding field, From Natural Philosophy to the Sciences will be essential for historians of science, but also of great interest to scholars of all aspects of nineteenth-century life and culture. Contributors: Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Jed Z. Buchwald, David Cahan, Joseph Dauben, Frederick Gregory, Michael Hagner, Sungook Hong, David R. Oldroyd, Theodore M. Porter, Robert J. Richards, Ulrich Wengenroth
Motion and Relativity focuses on the methodologies, solutions, and approaches involved in the study of motion and relativity, including the general relativity theory, gravitation, and approximation. The publication first offers information on notation and gravitational interaction and the general theory of motion. Discussions focus on the notation of the general relativity theory, field values on the world-lines, general statement of the physical problem, Newton's theory of gravitation, and forms for the equation of motion of the second kind. The text then takes a look at the approximation method and the equations of motion and motion and the Newtonian and post-Newtonian approximation. Topics include general remarks on the approximation method, two forms of the equations of motion and integrability conditions, approximation method and coordinate system, and development of the metric field. The manuscript examines the variational principle and the equations of motion of the third kind and the one and two particle problems. The formulation of the problem, Lagrangian up the sixth order, motion of a test particle in the field of a heavy particle, two-body problem, and motion of rotating bodies are discussed. The text is a dependable reference for readers interested in the methodologies, solutions, and approaches involved in the study of motion and relativity.
Rich in historical detail and bursting with intellectual passion, this captivating novel describes a genius's valiant quest for truth in post-Napoleon France, a turbulent and uncertain era that in many ways mirrors the world today.
In the fog of a Paris dawn in 1832, variste Galois, the 20-year-old founder of modern algebra, was shot and killed in a duel. That gunshot, suggests Amir Alexander, marked the end of one era in mathematics and the beginning of another. Arguing that not even the purest mathematics can be separated from its cultural background, Alexander shows how popular stories about mathematicians are really morality tales about their craft as it relates to the world. In the eighteenth century, Alexander says, mathematicians were idealized as child-like, eternally curious, and uniquely suited to reveal the hidden harmonies of the world. But in the nineteenth century, brilliant mathematicians like Galois became Romantic heroes like poets, artists, and musicians. The ideal mathematician was now an alienated loner, driven to despondency by an uncomprehending world. A field that had been focused on the natural world now sought to create its own reality. Higher mathematics became a world unto itselfÑpure and governed solely by the laws of reason. In this strikingly original book that takes us from Paris to St. Petersburg, Norway to Transylvania, Alexander introduces us to national heroes and outcasts, innocents, swindlers, and martyrsÐall uncommonly gifted creators of modern mathematics.
Einstein: The First Hundred Years presents the great contribution of Albert Einstein to the development of science. This book discusses the significant role of Einstein's existence as a scientist who turned out to be a great public figure that changed the society's consciousness of science for good. Organized into five parts encompassing 17 chapters, this book begins with an overview of Albert Einstein's achievement as the greatest theoretical physicist of his age and he was universally recognized at 37. This text then provides Einstein's major contribution to the special and general theories of relativity. Other chapters consider Einstein's work on the development of quantum theory for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1921. This book discusses as well Brownian movement and statistical theories by Einstein. The final chapter deals with the increasing widespread interest in Einstein's work. This book is a valuable resource for scientists, physicists, teachers, and students.
