The Natural Philosophy of James Clerk Maxwell [Paperback]

This book examines James Clerk Maxwell, creator of the electromagnetic theory of light and kinetic theory of gases.James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79) was the most important theoretical physicist in the two centuries separating Newton and Einstein. He created the electromagnetic theory of light and made important contributions to the theory of gases. This scientific biography and introduction to Maxwell's physics and philosophy amply shows how he made revolutionary advances in theoretical physics by combining a firm grasp of physical reality with great mathematical ability.James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79) was the most important theoretical physicist in the two centuries separating Newton and Einstein. He created the electromagnetic theory of light and made important contributions to the theory of gases. This scientific biography and introduction to Maxwell's physics and philosophy amply shows how he made revolutionary advances in theoretical physics by combining a firm grasp of physical reality with great mathematical ability.This book provides an introductory yet comprehensive account of James Clerk Maxwell's (1831-79) physics and world view. The argument is structured by a focus on the fundamental themes that shaped Maxwell's science: analogy and geometry, models and mechanical explanation, statistical representation and the limitations of dynamical reasoning, and the relation between physical theory and its mathematical description. This approach, which considers his physics as a whole, bridges the disjunction between Maxwell's greatest contributions: the concept of the electromagnetic field and the kinetic theory of gases. Maxwell's work and ideas are viewed historically in terms of his indebtedness to scientific and cultural traditions, of Edinburgh experimental physics, and of Cambridge mathematics and philosophy of science, which nurtured his career. Peter M. Harman is Professor of the History of Science at Lancaster University. He has published primarily on the hl³&