Ludwig Boltzmann: The Man Who Trusted Atoms by Carlo Cercignani (English) Paperb

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The book presents the life and personality, the scientific and philosophical work of Ludwig Boltzmann. His tragic life ending with his suicide is described in detail. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing his work establishing the atomic structure of matter and his influence on modern physics.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

This book presents the life and personality, the scientific and philosophical work of Ludwig Boltzmann, one of the great scientists who marked the passage from 19th- to 20th-Century physics. His rich and tragic life, ending by suicide at the age of 62, is described in detail. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing his scientific and philosophical ideas and placing them in the context of the second half of the 19th century. The fact that Boltzmannwas the man who did most to establish that there is a microscopic, atomic structure underlying macroscopic bodies is documented, as is Boltzmann's influence on modern physics, especially through the workof Planck on light quanta and of Einstein on Brownian motion. Boltzmann was the centre of a scientific upheaval, and he has been proved right on many crucial issues. He anticipated Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions and proposed a theory of knowledge based on Darwin. His basic results, when properly understood, can also be stated as mathematical theorems. Some of these have been proved: others are still at the level of likely but unproven conjectures. The main textof this biography is written almost entirely without equations. Mathematical appendices deepen knowledge of some technical aspects of the subject.

Author Biography

Carlo CercignaniDipartmento di MatematicaPolitecnico di MilanoPiazza Leonardo da Vinci, 3220133 Milano Italy

Table of Contents

Sir Roger Penrose: ForewordPrefaceIntroduction1: A short biography of Ludwig Boltzmann2: Physics before Boltzmann3: Kinetic theory before Boltzmann4: The Boltzmann equation5: Time irreversibility and the H-theorem6: Boltzmann's relation and the statistical interpretation of entropy7: Boltzmann, Gibbs and equilibrium statistical mechanics8: The problem of polyatomic molecules9: Boltzmann's contributions to other branches of physics10: Boltzmann as a philosopher11: Boltzmann and his contemporaries12: The influence of Boltzmann's ideas on the science and technology of the twentieth centuryEpilogueChronologys"A German professor's journey to Eldorado"Appendices

Review

`It is valuable, not only for the wealth and scope of information it provides, but for offering an up-to-date view, accessible to all, of Boltzmann's scientific ideas.'Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics`Carlo Cercignani has made an important contribution to our understanding of the man and his work in the context of his times... Much of the book will be interesting for the general reader.'George Fleck, The Chemical Intelligencer`I can warmly recommend the book to everybody who is interested in the history of science.'Dieter Flamm, Physics World

Promotional

This book offers fascinating insights into the birth of modern physics.

Long Description

This book presents the life and personality, the scientific and philosophical work of Ludwig Boltzmann, one of the great scientists who marked the passage from 19th- to 20th-Century physics. His rich and tragic life, ending by suicide at the age of 62, is described in detail. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing his scientific and philosophical ideas and placing them in the context of the second half of the 19th century. The fact that Boltzmannwas the man who did most to establish that there is a microscopic, atomic structure underlying macroscopic bodies is documented, as is Boltzmann's influence on modern physics, especially through the workof Planck on light quanta and of Einstein on Brownian motion. Boltzmann was the centre of a scientific upheaval, and he has been proved right on many crucial issues. He anticipated Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions and proposed a theory of knowledge based on Darwin. His basic results, when properly understood, can also be stated as mathematical theorems. Some of these have been proved: others are still at the level of likely but unproven conjectures. The main textof this biography is written almost entirely without equations. Mathematical appendices deepen knowledge of some technical aspects of the subject.

Review Text

`It is valuable, not only for the wealth and scope of information it provides, but for offering an up-to-date view, accessible to all, of Boltzmann's scientific ideas.'Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics`Carlo Cercignani has made an important contribution to our understanding of the man and his work in the context of his times... Much of the book will be interesting for the general reader.'George Fleck, The Chemical Intelligencer`I can warmly recommend the book to everybody who is interested in the history of science.'Dieter Flamm, Physics World

Review Quote

"Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906) is the scientist to whom, more than anyone else, we owe the great conceptual leap that yielded a joint view of mechanics, statistics, radiation and thermodynamics....Boltzmann paid dearly for his vision, in terms of his own psychological stability and mental health, up to his tragic suicide....Boltzmann had a very intense life, dominated by insecurity, academic feuds and a passion for science. He was also a sensitive musician and a lover of nature, with a keen eye for picking out and explaining to his children, for example, evolutionary mechanisms. He would tell them long tales of a great English scientist sailing around the world in a ship called Beagle, and from that explain why foxes have fur, or birds feathers....Cercignani''s beautiful book has the merit, first of all, of bringing Boltzmann fully back to life, as a scientist, a philosopher and a poet, thanks to painstaking research."--Nature "While researching the mathematical theory of the Boltzmann equation, Cercignani (theoretical mechanics, Politecnico di Milano) encountered the eclectic thought of this Austrian physicist (1844-1906) who established that an atomic structure underlies macroscopic bodies. This biography covers physics and kinetic theory before Boltzmann; his Darwinian theory of knowledge anticipating Kuhn''s theory of scientific revolutions; relationship with Maxwell, Planck, and other peers; and influence on modern science. Appends mathematical theorems and models. Includes a chronology, portraits, and diagrams related to his work."--SciTech Book News "Solving the enigma of irreversibility was the great enterprise to which the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann...edicated his life....Carlo Cercignani''s [book] is not about recent developments in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. It may be described briefly as a careful, in-depth discussion of Boltzmann''s science and personality and of the world he lived in....Actually, Boltzmann''s scientific ideas have retained immediacy because the development of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics has been slow...[Cercignani''s book] is obviously a work of love, and I would advise the reader to take time going through it. There are, for instance, sensitive descriptions of the intellectual atmosphere of central Europe in the late 19th century....It is refreshing to see the philosophy of science discussed not by a licensed hermeneutician but by a true scientist like Boltzmann, who is able to disregard formal details and go straight to the important ideas."--Physics Today "The text is packed with fascinating aspects of Boltzmann''s career....In the 1870''s, Boltzmann was, in Cercignani''s words, ''also busy with an experimental study on the law that according to the Maxwell picture related the dielectric constant and the refractive index of a given material.'' The measurements of the dielectric constant were based on electrical attraction or changes in capacitance. Thus they determined the dielectric constant at zero frequency. The good agreement that Boltzmann found with the refractive index...was--in part--a stroke of good luck. (If Boltzmann had tried water, he would have been surprised.) And then there were Boltzmann''s travels from one university to another, especially during the ''restless years,'' from 1888 to his suicide in 1906....I can recommend the book to anyone wanting to know more about Ludwig Boltzmann, a man who was misunderstood by many of his colleagues and yet highly respected..."--American Journal of Physics "This book gives an interesting review of Boltzmann''s work and time and the various relationships to other scientists. Boltzmann''s equation...Boltzmann''s work in statistical mechanics, the problem of polyatomic molecules, and his reflexions on other physical parts are described well....The book contains an appendix, a reference list and a useful index. It is a nice book..."--Mathematical Reviews "[A] thorough analysis of Boltzmann''s scientific achievements by an expert on modern kinetic theory, who has also made an effort to read the original papers in ''dense German'' and has surveyed some of the extensive biographical material. The result is a book that can be highly recommended to all physical scientists and mathematicians, including graduate students. Cercignani, who is Professor of Theoretical Mechanics at the Politecnico di Milano, is well known for his research on the Boltzmann equation and is credited with several notable results, such as establishing the Boltzmann-Grad limit hierarchy....Well-written chapters on Boltzmann''s life and time and on the early history of thermodynamics and kinetic theory, and followed by chapters on his philosophical views, his relations with his contemporaries, his dispute with the anti-atomists, and his influence on 20th century science."--Journal of Statistical Physics, Vol 98, No 5/6, 2000

Feature

Unique detailed biography of Boltzmann, the scientist who marked the passage from 19th to 20th century physics.Controversial aspects of Boltzmann's work in the light of modern research.Discussion of Boltzmann's philosophical views (theory of knowledge, anticipation of Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions).Review of Boltzmann's basic work in statistical mechanics.Survey of Boltzmann's work in other fields (electromagnetism, continuum mechanics, foundations of mechanics, thermal radiation) and his influence on modern physics through the work of Einstein and Planck

Details ISBN0198570643 Author Roger Penrose Short Title LUDWIG BOLTZMANN Language English ISBN-10 0198570643 ISBN-13 9780198570646 Media Book Format Paperback Year 2006 Imprint Oxford University Press Subtitle The Man Who Trusted Atoms Place of Publication Oxford Country of Publication United Kingdom Residence US Affiliation Professor of Psychology, Stanford University DOI 10.1604/9780198570646 UK Release Date 2006-01-12 AU Release Date 2006-01-12 NZ Release Date 2006-01-12 Edited by Philip G. Zimbardo Birth 1938 Position Professor of Psychology Qualifications QC Pages 348 Publisher Oxford University Press Publication Date 2006-01-12 Alternative 9780198501541 DEWEY 539.7092 Illustrations 23 line drawings and halftones Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this

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