Overview
- Presents a thorough reconstruction of Max Planck’s radiation theory
- Details the different areas of knowledge, traditions, and conceptual resources that contributed to the theory
- Features a new and complete analysis of Planck’s combinatorial argument
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in History of Science and Technology (BRIEFSHIST)
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About this book
This book examines the different areas of knowledge, traditions, and conceptual resources that contributed to the building of Max Planck’s theory of radiation. It presents an insightful comparative analysis that not only sheds light upon a fundamental chapter in the history of modern physics, but also enlarges our understanding of how theoreticians work.
Coverage offers a deep investigation into the technical aspects behind the theory and extends in time the notion of quantum revolution. It also presents a full-fledged discussion of the combinatorial part of Planck’s theory and places emphasis on the epistemological role of mathematical practices. By painstakingly reconstructing both the electromagnetic and the combinatorial part of Planck’s black-body theory, the author shows how some apparently merely technical resources, such as the Fourier series, effectively contributed to shape the final form of Planck’s theory.
For decades, historians have debated the conditions of possibility of Max Planck’s discovery as a paradigmatic example of scientific revolution. In particular, the use of combinatorics, which eventually paved the way for the introduction of the quantum hypothesis, has remained a puzzle for experts. This book presents a fresh perspective on this important debate that will appeal to historians and philosophers of science.
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Table of contents (4 chapters)
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Bumpy Road
Book Subtitle: Max Planck from Radiation Theory to the Quantum (1896-1906)
Authors: Massimiliano Badino
Series Title: SpringerBriefs in History of Science and Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20031-6
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: The Author(s) 2015
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-20030-9Published: 25 June 2015
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-20031-6Published: 06 June 2015
Series ISSN: 2211-4564
Series E-ISSN: 2211-4572
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XII, 112
Number of Illustrations: 9 b/w illustrations
Topics: History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, History of Science