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Lazy Universe An Introduction to the Principle of Least Action

Coopersmith Jennifer
Innbundet / 2017 / Engelsk

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780198743040
Publisert
2017
Utgiver
Oxford University Press
Vekt
508 gr
Høyde
222 mm
Bredde
149 mm
Dybde
23 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
280

Forfatter
Coopersmith Jennifer

Biografisk notat

Jennifer Coopersmith took her PhD in nuclear physics from the University of London, and was later a research fellow at TRIUMF, University of British Columbia. She was for many years an associate lecturer for the Open University (London and Oxford), and was then a tutor on astrophysics courses at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne while based at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Victoria. She now lives in France.

Lazy Universe An Introduction to the Principle of Least Action

Coopersmith Jennifer
Innbundet / 2017 / Engelsk
Coopersmith Jennifer
Innbundet / 2017 / Engelsk
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Jennifer Coopersmith has written a most welcome book, the first historically and philosophically motivated full study since two classics written nearly a half-century ago... [She] has attempted and succeeded admirably I believe in her aim to write a modern book on the history and philosophy of the action principles, as well as to give the technical details.

Chris Gray, American Journal of Physics

Any careful reader of this book will seek out the monograph without fail and benefit from its perusal... I have no hesitations in recommending this book to any physical scientist or engineer who wants to understand variational principles better.

M. P. Gururajan, Contemporary Physics

Recommended.

CHOICE

Se alle

[C]ontagious enthusiasm and a sense of humour unusual in this kind of literature ... The first part is excellent reading for anybody with an interest in the history and philosophy of science. I also recommend the book to students in physics and mathematics who are willing to dig deeper into this subject after taking classes in analytical mechanics, and I believe that it is accessible to any student in STEM disciplines. Practitioners in physics from any sub-discipline will enjoy a refresh and a different point of view that puts their tools of the trade in a broader context.

Andrea Giammanco, CERN Courier

Inspired by the monumental work of Lanczos, Jennifer Coopersmith has constructed a beautiful exposition of the philosophical basis underlying classical mechanics. It has enough technical meat to be interesting to an expert, while remaining accessible to a novice.

Gerald Jay Sussman, Panasonic Professor of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is a well written and comprehensible presentation of some of the most fascinating and fundamental principles which theoretical physics has uncovered. The author has done a great job in making accessible 'as if-laws' to a broader audience.

Helmut Pulte, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

This book has a general audience: every practicing physicist -- and a specific audience: every physics textbook writer. Envision and teach physics powerfully and directly with energy, action, and the Principle of Least Action.

Edwin F. Taylor, Senior Research Scientist Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is a rare book on a rare topic: it is about 'action' and the Principle of Least Action. A surprisingly well-kept secret, these ideas are at the heart of physical science and engineering. Physics is well known as being concerned with grand conservatory principles (e.g. the conservation of energy) but equally important is the optimization principle (such as getting somewhere in the shortest time or with the least resistance). The book explains: why an optimization principle underlies physics, what action is, what `the Hamiltonian' is, and how new insights into energy, space, and time arise. It assumes some background in the physical sciences, at the level of undergraduate science, but it is not a textbook. The requisite derivations and worked examples are given but may be skim-read if desired. The author draws from Cornelius Lanczos's book "The Variational Principles of Mechanics" (1949 and 1970). Lanczos was a brilliant mathematician and educator, but his book was for a postgraduate audience. The present book is no mere copy with the difficult bits left out - it is original, and a popularization. It aims to explain ideas rather than achieve technical competence, and to show how Least Action leads into the whole of physics.
Les mer
The Principle of Least Action underlies all physics and leads into quantum mechanics and Einstein's Relativity. There are some textbooks that do the calculations, and one book with nice pictures, but no book (before this one) that explains what 'action' is, and why nature follows this principle.
Les mer
APPENDICES
Explains why the Principle works Explains why potential energy has a minus sign Carefully chosen analogies and figures Worked examples to aid understanding Cultural and philosophical reference points
Jennifer Coopersmith took her PhD in nuclear physics from the University of London, and was later a research fellow at TRIUMF, University of British Columbia. She was for many years an associate lecturer for the Open University (London and Oxford), and was then a tutor on astrophysics courses at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne while based at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Victoria. She now lives in France.
Les mer
Explains why the Principle works Explains why potential energy has a minus sign Carefully chosen analogies and figures Worked examples to aid understanding Cultural and philosophical reference points

Relaterte produkter

Jennifer Coopersmith has written a most welcome book, the first historically and philosophically motivated full study since two classics written nearly a half-century ago... [She] has attempted and succeeded admirably I believe in her aim to write a modern book on the history and philosophy of the action principles, as well as to give the technical details.

Chris Gray, American Journal of Physics

Any careful reader of this book will seek out the monograph without fail and benefit from its perusal... I have no hesitations in recommending this book to any physical scientist or engineer who wants to understand variational principles better.

M. P. Gururajan, Contemporary Physics

Recommended.

CHOICE

Se alle

[C]ontagious enthusiasm and a sense of humour unusual in this kind of literature ... The first part is excellent reading for anybody with an interest in the history and philosophy of science. I also recommend the book to students in physics and mathematics who are willing to dig deeper into this subject after taking classes in analytical mechanics, and I believe that it is accessible to any student in STEM disciplines. Practitioners in physics from any sub-discipline will enjoy a refresh and a different point of view that puts their tools of the trade in a broader context.

Andrea Giammanco, CERN Courier

Inspired by the monumental work of Lanczos, Jennifer Coopersmith has constructed a beautiful exposition of the philosophical basis underlying classical mechanics. It has enough technical meat to be interesting to an expert, while remaining accessible to a novice.

Gerald Jay Sussman, Panasonic Professor of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is a well written and comprehensible presentation of some of the most fascinating and fundamental principles which theoretical physics has uncovered. The author has done a great job in making accessible 'as if-laws' to a broader audience.

Helmut Pulte, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

This book has a general audience: every practicing physicist -- and a specific audience: every physics textbook writer. Envision and teach physics powerfully and directly with energy, action, and the Principle of Least Action.

Edwin F. Taylor, Senior Research Scientist Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is a rare book on a rare topic: it is about 'action' and the Principle of Least Action. A surprisingly well-kept secret, these ideas are at the heart of physical science and engineering. Physics is well known as being concerned with grand conservatory principles (e.g. the conservation of energy) but equally important is the optimization principle (such as getting somewhere in the shortest time or with the least resistance). The book explains: why an optimization principle underlies physics, what action is, what `the Hamiltonian' is, and how new insights into energy, space, and time arise. It assumes some background in the physical sciences, at the level of undergraduate science, but it is not a textbook. The requisite derivations and worked examples are given but may be skim-read if desired. The author draws from Cornelius Lanczos's book "The Variational Principles of Mechanics" (1949 and 1970). Lanczos was a brilliant mathematician and educator, but his book was for a postgraduate audience. The present book is no mere copy with the difficult bits left out - it is original, and a popularization. It aims to explain ideas rather than achieve technical competence, and to show how Least Action leads into the whole of physics.
Les mer
The Principle of Least Action underlies all physics and leads into quantum mechanics and Einstein's Relativity. There are some textbooks that do the calculations, and one book with nice pictures, but no book (before this one) that explains what 'action' is, and why nature follows this principle.
Les mer
APPENDICES
Explains why the Principle works Explains why potential energy has a minus sign Carefully chosen analogies and figures Worked examples to aid understanding Cultural and philosophical reference points
Jennifer Coopersmith took her PhD in nuclear physics from the University of London, and was later a research fellow at TRIUMF, University of British Columbia. She was for many years an associate lecturer for the Open University (London and Oxford), and was then a tutor on astrophysics courses at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne while based at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Victoria. She now lives in France.
Les mer
Explains why the Principle works Explains why potential energy has a minus sign Carefully chosen analogies and figures Worked examples to aid understanding Cultural and philosophical reference points

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780198743040
Publisert
2017
Utgiver
Oxford University Press
Vekt
508 gr
Høyde
222 mm
Bredde
149 mm
Dybde
23 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
280

Forfatter
Coopersmith Jennifer

Biografisk notat

Jennifer Coopersmith took her PhD in nuclear physics from the University of London, and was later a research fellow at TRIUMF, University of British Columbia. She was for many years an associate lecturer for the Open University (London and Oxford), and was then a tutor on astrophysics courses at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne while based at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Victoria. She now lives in France.

Relaterte produkter