Pauli Lectures on Physics, Volume 4: Statistical Mechanics - Couverture rigide

Pauli, Wolfgang

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0262160498 ISBN 13 : 9780262160490

Editeur : The MIT Press, 1973

Synopsis

These lectures covering topics basic to classical and modern physics were given by Pauli at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, where they were transcribed by his collaborators. They have now been translated and edited for English publication, and are introduced by Victor Weisskopf, who writes as follows:
“It is often said that scientific texts quickly become obsolete. Why are the Pauli lectures brought to the public today, when some of them were given as long as twenty years ago? The reason is simple: Pauli's way of presenting physics is never out of date. His famous article on the foundations of quantum mechanics appeared in 1933 in the German encyclopedia Handbuch der Physik. Twenty-five years later it reappeared practically unchanged in a new edition, whereas most often contributions to this encyclopedia had to be completely rewritten. The reason for this remarkable fact lies in Pauli's style, which is commensurate to the greatness of its subject in its clarity and impact. Style in scientific writing is a quality that today is on the point of vanishing. The pressure of fast publication is so great that people rush into print with hurriedly written papers and books that show little concern for careful formulation of ideas. Mathematical and instrumental techniques have become complicated and difficult; today most of the effort of writing and learning is devoted to the acquisition of these techniques instead of insight into important concepts. Essential ideas of physics are often lost in the dense forest of mathematical reasoning. This situation need not be so. Pauli's lectures show how physical ideas can be presented clearly and in good mathematical form, without being hidden in formalistic expertise.”

A propos du livre

À propos de l?auteur

Victor F. Weisskopf was Institute Professor Emeritus and Professor of Physics Emeritus at MIT.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: The MIT Press
• Date d'édition: 1973
• ISBN 10: 0262160498
• ISBN 13: 9780262160490
• Reliure: Relié
• Langue: anglais
• Nombre de pages: 121
• Éditeur: Enz Charles P.
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible