Eddington's search for a fundamental theory : a key to the universe
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Bibliographic Information
Eddington's search for a fundamental theory : a key to the universe
Cambridge University Press, 1994
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 250-253) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Sir Arthur Eddington, the celebrated astrophysicist, made great strides towards his own 'theory of everything' in his last two books published in 1936 and 1946. Unlike his earlier lucid and authoritative works, these are strangely tentative and obscure - as if he were nervous of the significant advances that he might be making. This 1995 volume examines both how Eddington came to write these uncharacteristic books - in the context of the physics and history of the day - and what value they have to modern physics. The result is an illuminating description of the development of theoretical physics, in the first half of the twentieth century, from a unique point of view: how it affected Eddington's thought. This will provide fascinating reading for scholars in the philosophy of science, theoretical physics, applied mathematics and the history of science.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. The mystery
- Part I. 1882-1928: 2. The astrophysicist
- 3. General relativity
- 4. Consequences of general relativity
- 5. 'Something has slipped through the net'
- 6. Quantum mechanics
- Part II. 1928-33: 7. Algebra to the fore
- 8. Electric charge
- 9. The proton-electron mass-ratio
- Part III. 1933-44: 10. The turning point
- 11. Critical views of RTPE
- 12. The last decade
- References
- Index.
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