Author: Jesper Lützen
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191524344
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334
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Book Description
This book gives an analysis of Hertz's posthumously published Principles of Mechanics in its philosophical, physical and mathematical context. In a period of heated debates about the true foundation of physical sciences, Hertz's book was conceived and highly regarded as an original and rigorous foundation for a mechanistic research program. Insisting that a law-like account of nature would require hypothetical unobservables, Hertz viewed physical theories as (mental) images of the world rather than the true design behind the phenomena. This paved the way for the modern conception of a model. Rejecting the concept of force as a coherent basic notion of physics he built his mechanics on hidden masses (the ether) and rigid connections, and formulated it as a new differential geometric language. Recently many philosophers have studied Hertz's image theory and historians of physics have discussed his forceless mechanics. The present book shows how these aspects, as well as the hitherto overlooked mathematical aspects, form an integrated whole which is closely connected to the mechanistic world view of the time and which is a natural continuation of Hertz's earlier research on electromagnetism. Therefore it is also a case study of the strong interactions between philosophy, physics and mathematics. Moreover, the book presents an analysis of the genesis of many of the central elements of Hertz's mechanics based on his manuscripts and drafts. Hertz's research program was cut short by the advent of relativity theory but its image theory influenced many philosophers as well as some physicists and mathematicians and its geometric form had a lasting influence on advanced expositions of mechanics.
Author: Vincent F. Hendricks
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402051956
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 345
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Book Description
The main theme of this anthology is the unique interaction between mathematics, physics and philosophy during the beginning of the 20th century. In this book, ten renowned philosopher-historians probe insightfully into key conceptual questions of pre-quantum mathematical physics. The result is a diverse yet thematically focused compilation of first class papers on mathematics, physics and philosophy, and a source-book on the interaction between them.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geometry
Languages : en
Pages : 318
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Book Description
Author: David Cahan
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022654916X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 946
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Book Description
Hermann von Helmholtz was a towering figure of nineteenth-century scientific and intellectual life. Best known for his achievements in physiology and physics, he also contributed to other disciplines such as ophthalmology, psychology, mathematics, chemical thermodynamics, and meteorology. With Helmholtz: A Life in Science, David Cahan has written a definitive biography, one that brings to light the dynamic relationship between Helmholtz’s private life, his professional pursuits, and the larger world in which he lived. ? Utilizing all of Helmholtz’s scientific and philosophical writings, as well as previously unknown letters, this book reveals the forces that drove his life—a passion to unite the sciences, vigilant attention to the sources and methods of knowledge, and a deep appreciation of the ways in which the arts and sciences could benefit each other. By placing the overall structure and development of his scientific work and philosophy within the greater context of nineteenth-century Germany, Helmholtz also serves as cultural biography of the construction of the scientific community: its laboratories, institutes, journals, disciplinary organizations, and national and international meetings. Helmholtz’s life is a shining example of what can happen when the sciences and the humanities become interwoven in the life of one highly motivated, energetic, and gifted person.
Author: Wilfried Sieg
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199707154
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 452
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Book Description
Hilbert's Programs & Beyond presents the foundational work of David Hilbert in a sequence of thematically organized essays. They first trace the roots of Hilbert's work to the radical transformation of mathematics in the 19th century and bring out his pivotal role in creating mathematical logic and proof theory. They then analyze techniques and results of "classical" proof theory as well as their dramatic expansion in modern proof theory. This intellectual experience finally opens horizons for reflection on the nature of mathematics in the 21st century: Sieg articulates his position of reductive structuralism and explores mathematical capacities via computational models.
Author: Toke Knudsen
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110770075
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 358
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Book Description
The present collection of essays are published in honor of the distinguished historian of mathematics Professor Emeritus Jesper Lützen. In a career that spans more than four decades, Professor Lützen's scholarly contributions have enhanced our understanding of the history, development, and organization of mathematics. The essays cover a broad range of areas connected to Professor Lützen's work. In addition to this noteworthy scholarship, Professor Lützen has always been an exemplary colleague, providing support to peers as well as new faculty and graduate students. We dedicate this Festschrift to Professor Lützen—as a scholarly role model, mentor, colleague, and friend.
Author: Michael Beaney
Publisher: Oxford Handbooks
ISBN: 0199238847
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 1182
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Book Description
The main stream of academic philosophy, in Anglophone countries and increasingly worldwide, is identified by the name 'analytic'. The study of its history, from the 19th century to the late 20th, has boomed in recent years. These specially commissioned essays by forty leading scholars constitute the most comprehensive book on the subject.
Author: Mark Wilson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192896466
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 229
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Book Description
"Mark Wilson aims to reconnect analytic philosophy with the evolving practicalities within science from which many of its grander concerns originally sprang. He offers an alternative history of how the subject might have developed had the insights of its philosopher/scientist forebears not been cast aside in the vain pursuit of 'ersatz rigor'"--
Author: Karine Chemla
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031408551
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 702
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Book Description
This book, a tribute to historian of mathematics Jeremy Gray, offers an overview of the history of mathematics and its inseparable connection to philosophy and other disciplines. Many different approaches to the study of the history of mathematics have been developed. Understanding this diversity is central to learning about these fields, but very few books deal with their richness and concrete suggestions for the “what, why and how” of these domains of inquiry. The editors and authors approach the basic question of what the history of mathematics is by means of concrete examples. For the “how” question, basic methodological issues are addressed, from the different perspectives of mathematicians and historians. Containing essays by leading scholars, this book provides a multitude of perspectives on mathematics, its role in culture and development, and connections with other sciences, making it an important resource for students and academics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.
Author: Vagn Lundsgaard Hansen
Publisher: EOLSS Publications
ISBN: 1848262213
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 396
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Book Description
History of Mathematics is a component of Encyclopedia of Mathematical Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on History of Mathematics discusses: Mathematics in Egypt and Mesopotamia; History of Trigonometryto 1550; Mathematics in Japan; The Mathematization of The Physical Sciences-Differential Equations of Nature; A Short History of Dynamical Systems Theory:1885-2007; Measure Theories and Ergodicity Problems; The Number Concept and Number Systems; Operations Research and Mathematical Programming: From War to Academia - A Joint Venture; Elementary Mathematics From An Advanced Standpoint; The History and Concept of Mathematical Proof; Geometry in The 20th Century; Bourbaki: An Epiphenomenon in The History of Mathematics This volume is aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.
