Anxiety and the Equation

Anxiety and the Equation
Author: Eric Johnson
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2018-10-23
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0262038617

A man and his equation: the anxiety-plagued nineteenth-century physicist who contributed significantly to our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. Ludwig Boltzmann's grave in Vienna's Central Cemetery bears a cryptic epitaph: S = k log W. This equation was Boltzmann's great discovery, and it contributed significantly to our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. In Anxiety and the Equation, Eric Johnson tells the story of a man and his equation: the anxiety-plagued nineteenth-century physicist who did his most important work as he struggled with mental illness. Johnson explains that “S” in Boltzmann's equation refers to entropy, and that entropy is the central quantity in the second law of thermodynamics. The second law is always on, running in the background of our lives, providing a way to differentiate between past and future. We know that the future will be a state of higher entropy than the past, and we have Boltzmann to thank for discovering the equation that underlies that fundamental trend. Johnson, accessibly and engagingly, reassembles Boltzmann's equation from its various components and presents episodes from Boltzmann's life—beginning at the end, with “Boltzmann Kills Himself” and “Boltzmann Is Buried (Not Once, But Twice).” Johnson explains the second law in simple terms, introduces key concepts through thought experiments, and explores Boltzmann's work. He argues that Boltzmann, diagnosed by his contemporaries as neurasthenic, suffered from an anxiety disorder. He was, says Johnson, a man of reason who suffered from irrational concerns about his work, worrying especially about opposition from the scientific establishment of the day. Johnson's clear and concise explanations will acquaint the nonspecialist reader with such seemingly esoteric concepts as microstates, macrostates, fluctuations, the distribution of energy, log functions, and equilibrium. He describes Boltzmann's relationships with other scientists, including Max Planck and Henri Poincaré, and, finally, imagines “an alternative ending,” in which Boltzmann lived on and died of natural causes.

The British Chess Magazine; Volume 16

The British Chess Magazine; Volume 16
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: Legare Street Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2022-10-27
Genre:
ISBN: 9781016407649

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Physics of the Piano

Physics of the Piano
Author: Nicholas J. Giordano
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 374
Release: 2016-10-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0192506633

Why does a piano sound like a piano? A similar question can be asked of virtually all musical instruments. A particular note-such as middle C-can be produced by a piano, a violin, a clarinet, and many other instruments, yet it is easy for even a musically untrained listener to distinguish between these different instruments. A central quest in the study of musical instruments is to understand why the sound of the "same" note depends greatly on the instrument, and to elucidate which aspects of an instrument are most critical in producing the musical tones characteristic of the instrument. The primary goal of this book is to investigate these questions for the piano. The explanations in this book use a minimum of mathematics, and are intended for anyone who is interested in music and musical instruments. At the same time, there are many insights relating physics and the piano that will likely be interesting and perhaps surprising for many physicists.

The Physics of Energy

The Physics of Energy
Author: Robert L. Jaffe
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 897
Release: 2018-01-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1107016657

A comprehensive and unified introduction to the science of energy sources, uses, and systems for students, scientists, engineers, and professionals.

Astrophysical Recipes

Astrophysical Recipes
Author: Simon Portegies Zwart
Publisher:
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2018-12-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780750313216

Astrophysical Recipes: The art of AMUSE delves into the ways in which computational science and astrophysics are connected and how the bridge between observation and theory are understood. This book provides a unique outline of the basic principles of performing simulations for astrophysical phenomena, in order to better increase and understand these observations and theories.

The Forest of Physics

The Forest of Physics
Author: Travis Norsen
Publisher: Pig Pug Press
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2021-07-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781734528015

This historically-organized text was written for the Advanced Introductory Physics course at Smith College. The book's three main parts each tell the story of one of the central theoretical pillars of classical physics: Newton's theory of universal gravitation, Maxwell's theory of electricity and magnetism, and the atomic theory of matter.

Physics and Psychics

Physics and Psychics
Author: Richard Noakes
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2019-10-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1107188547

Noakes' revelatory analysis of Victorian scientists' fascination with psychic phenomena connects science, the occult and religion in intriguing new ways.

Nodal Discontinuous Galerkin Methods

Nodal Discontinuous Galerkin Methods
Author: Jan S. Hesthaven
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 507
Release: 2007-12-18
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0387720650

This book offers an introduction to the key ideas, basic analysis, and efficient implementation of discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods (DG-FEM) for the solution of partial differential equations. It covers all key theoretical results, including an overview of relevant results from approximation theory, convergence theory for numerical PDE’s, and orthogonal polynomials. Through embedded Matlab codes, coverage discusses and implements the algorithms for a number of classic systems of PDE’s: Maxwell’s equations, Euler equations, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and Poisson- and Helmholtz equations.

Introduction to Many-Body Physics

Introduction to Many-Body Physics
Author: Piers Coleman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 815
Release: 2015-11-26
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1316432025

A modern, graduate-level introduction to many-body physics in condensed matter, this textbook explains the tools and concepts needed for a research-level understanding of the correlated behavior of quantum fluids. Starting with an operator-based introduction to the quantum field theory of many-body physics, this textbook presents the Feynman diagram approach, Green's functions and finite-temperature many-body physics before developing the path integral approach to interacting systems. Special chapters are devoted to the concepts of Fermi liquid theory, broken symmetry, conduction in disordered systems, superconductivity and the physics of local-moment metals. A strong emphasis on concepts and numerous exercises make this an invaluable course book for graduate students in condensed matter physics. It will also interest students in nuclear, atomic and particle physics.

Physics of the Jovian Magnetosphere

Physics of the Jovian Magnetosphere
Author: A. J. Dessler
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 572
Release: 1983
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521520065

A valuable reference work for those doing research in magnetospheric physics and related disciplines.