An accessible exposition of gravitation theory and celestial mechanics, this classic, oft-cited work was written by a distinguished Soviet astronomer. It explains with exceptional clarity the methods used by physicists in studying celestial phenomena.A historical introduction explains the Ptolemaic view of planetary motion and its displacement by the studies of Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Succeeding chapters examine the making of celestial o ...
First formulated in the early years of the 20th century, Einstein's theories of relativity overturned long-held concepts of space and time. They provided a radically new way of looking at the physical world and explanations for many questions unanswered by classical physics. Unfortunately, many laypeople consider relativity so abstruse and complicated that they despair of ever understanding it. In reality, the ideas, although profound, are ...
Albert Einstein characterized the work of James Clerk Maxwell as the «most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton.» Max Planck went even further, declaring that «he achieved greatness unequalled,» and Richard Feynman asserted that «From a long view of the history of mankind — seen from, say, ten thousand years from now — there can be little doubt that the most significant event of ...
How do we know that molecules really exist? An important clue came from Brownian movement, a concept developed in 1827 by botanist Robert Brown, who noticed that tiny objects like pollen grains shook and moved erratically when viewed under a microscope. Nearly 80 years later, in 1905, Albert Einstein explained this «Brownian motion» as the result of bombardment by molecules. Einstein offered a quantitative explanation by mathematically estimatin ...
This treatment of the branch of fluid mechanics known as hypersonic inviscid flow offers a self-contained, unified view of nonequilibrium effects, body geometries, and similitudes available in hypersonic flow and thin shock layer theory. Seeking to cultivate readers' appreciation of theory, the text avoids empirical approaches and focuses on basic theory and related fundamental concepts.Contents include introductory materials and chapters o ...
Two Nobel Laureates present a systematic, comprehensive account of the theory, techniques, experimental data, and interpretation involved in the study of microwave spectroscopy—a subject relevant to nuclear physics, molecular structure, chemical kinetics, quantum electrodynamics, and astronomy. The material in this volume is discussed critically, systematically, and in the simplest form. The simplicity of the wording and mathematics ma ...
A modern classic, this clearly written, incisive textbook provides a comprehensive, detailed survey of the functions of mathematical physics, a field of study straddling the somewhat artificial boundary between pure and applied mathematics.In the 18th and 19th centuries, the theorists who devoted themselves to this field — pioneers such as Gauss, Euler, Fourier, Legendre, and Bessel — were searching for mathematical solutions ...
The importance of eigenvalue theory in pure and applied mathematics, and in physics and chemistry, makes it incumbent on students to understand the various methods of approximate calculation of eigenvalues. It is especially important to develop such methods in a general and theoretical manner, if only to avoid missing opportunities for particular applications. This book does just that, approaching the topic from a purely mathematical standpoint. ...
This excellent text, directed to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in engineering and applied physics, introduces the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, emphasizing those aspects of quantum mechanics and quantum statistics essential to an understanding of solid-state theory. A heavy background in mathematics and physics is not required beyond basic courses in calculus, differential equations, and calculus-based elementary physics. ...
