George Green. Mathematician \& physicist 1793--1841. The background to his life and work. (With a foreword and an obituary Cannell by Lawrie Challis). (Q2715797)

For a review of the first ed. (London: Athlone Press 1993) see Zbl 0847.01021.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEToday it has become an indisputable fact that there is an increasing interest in the history of mathematics. In addition to research in the development of ideas and concepts, there is parallel the curiosity about the men who produced them. In this book the author discusses the life and work of the great mathematician and physicist George Green.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe author divides his book into 11 chapters along with 12 appendices. They are as follows:NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINE(1) Family Background, (2) George Green's Education, (3) Cambridge interlude, (4) Bromley House Library and Essay of 1828, (5) Sir Edward Bromhead, (6) The publication of George Green's further investigations, (7) An undergraduate at Cambridge, (8) A Fellowship at Caius College, (9) George Green's Family, (10) William Thomson and the Rediscovery of the Essay of 1828, (11) Honour in his own Country.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAppendix -- 1: The Mathematics of George Green by M. C. Thornley, formerly of the Mathematics Department, Nottingham Polytechnic. Appendix -- II: Mathematical papers of George Green. Appendix -- IIIa: Account by William Tomlin Esq.: ``Memoir of George Green Esq.''. Appendix -- IIIb: Account by Sir E. Ffrench Bromhead, Appendix -- IVa: Green's Family tree, Appendix -- IVb: Butler family tree, Appendix -- IVc: Smith family tree, Appendix -- IVd: Tomlin family tree, Appendix -- Va: Time chart of British mathematicians and men of science, Appendix -- Vb: Time chart of other mathematicians and men of science. VIa: The greening of Quantum Field Theory: George and I by Professor Julian Schwinger. Appendix -- VIb: Hommage to George Green: How physics looked in the 1940's by Professor Freeman Dyson.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEBesides these there are notes on 11 chapters which are useful for readers and two references (1) biographical, (2) scientific.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe book is well written and informative but the Appendices IVa--Vb are the most interesting ones. In the comprehensive Biography the author brings us close to both the person George Green and his time.