Physics and necessity : rationalist pursuits from the Cartesian past to the quantum present
Darrigol, OlivierAuthor
This book recounts a few ingenious attempts to derive physical theories by reason only, beginning with Descartes' geometric construction of the world, and finishing with recent derivations of quantum mechanics from natural axioms.
Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
Includes bibliographical references and index.
This book recounts a few ingenious attempts to derive physical theories by reason only, beginning with Descartes' geometric construction of the world, and finishing with recent derivations of quantum mechanics from natural axioms.
Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on May 20, 2014).
1. Rationalism in the history of mechanics. Descartes versus Newton -- Before Newton -- After Newton -- Conclusions -- 2. The necessity of classical mechanics. Connected systems -- Molecular mechanics -- Continuum mechanics -- Collisions -- Conclusions -- 3. From mechanical reduction to general principles. Varieties of mechanical reduction -- The energy principle -- The principle of least action -- Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics -- Conclusions -- 4. Geometry. From Euclid to Helmholtz -- Improved foundations -- Conventions and necessities -- Conclusions -- 5. Spacetime. From time to spacetime -- Rational spacetime -- The Helmholtzian approach, with morals -- Conclusions -- 6. Numbers and math. From Descartes to the nineteenth century -- A historical sketch of quantity -- Helmholtz's Counting and measuring -- Poincaré on number and quantity -- Conclusions --
7. Classical field theories. Landau, Faraday, and Maxwell -- Toward a definition of Faradayan theories -- The vector, tensor, and scalar cases -- Energy-momentum considerations -- The super-Faradayan approach -- Conclusions -- 8. Quantum mechanics. Historical necessity -- The deformation of classical mechanics -- Quantum logic -- Discreteness, probabilities, and information -- Conclusions -- 9. Necessity, theories, and modules. The preconditions of necessity -- Theories and modules -- The necessity of modularity -- Conclusion : the possibility of necessity.
Physics
Practical reason
Physics
Physical Sciences & Mathematics
Physics - General