James Clerk Maxwell. Perspectives on his life and work (Q2872210)

Maxwell was one of the most important scientists in the 19th century. He is famous for his celebrated ``Maxwell equations'' in electromagnetism but also for several other deep contributions to physics. This volume is a contribution of several physicists, mathematicians, and historians of science and literature to the understanding of some basic details in Maxwell's life and scientific career.NEWLINENEWLINEThe content of the book is divided into three parts and contains 15 chapters. Chapters 1 to 4 deal with wider aspects of Maxwell's life in time and place. The authors mainly refer to his life in Aberdeen, King's College in London, and the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. Part I contains the following contributions: 1: Raymond flood: Introductory biography; 2: John Reid: Maxwell at Aberdeen; 3: John Reid: Maxwell at King's College, London; 4: Isobel Falconer: Cambridge and building the Cavendish Laboratory.NEWLINENEWLINEPart II contains eight contributions, which deal with his basic contributions to science: optics and colour, the dynamics of the rings of Saturn, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism and electromagnetism. These works are the following: 5: Malcolm Longair: Maxwell and the science of colour; 6: Andrew Whitaker: Maxwell and the rings of Saturn; 7: Elizabeth Garber: Maxwell's kinetic theory 1859--1870; 8: John Rowlinson: Maxwell and the theory of liquids; 9: Andrew Whitaker: Maxwell's famous (or infamous) demon; 10: Dan Siegel: Maxwell's contribution to electricity and magnetism; 11: Chen-Pang Yeang: The Maxwellians: The reception and further development of Maxwell's electromagnetic theory; 12: Keith Moffatt: The fluid dynamics of James Clerk Maxwell.NEWLINENEWLINEThe final part contains three concluding chapters on Maxwell's poetry and Christian faith. These contributions are the following: 13: Stella Pratt-Smith: Boundaries of perception: James Clerk Maxwell's poetry of self, senses and science; 14: Philip Marston: Maxwell, faith and physics; 15: Mark McCartney: I remember years and labours as a tale that I have read.NEWLINENEWLINEThis beautiful volume is warmly addressed to historians of mathematics, physics, science, as well as to researchers in physics and mathematics.