Mathematical and Conceptual Foundations of 20th Century Physics (North-holland Mathematical Library)

This book is primarily intended for Mathematicians, but students in the physical sciences will find here information not usually available in physics texts. The main aim of this book is to provide a unified mathematical account of the conceptual foundations of 20th-Century Physics, in a form suitable for a one-year survey course in Mathematics or Mathematical Physics. Emphasis is laid on the interlocked historical development of mathematical and physical ideas. Content: Edited by Pages ii-iii Copyright page Page iv Chapter Interdependence Page vii Preface Pages viii-ix Acknowledgements Page x Chapter 1. Mechanics Pages 1-30 Chapter 2. Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Pages 31-66 Chapter 3. Electromagnetism Pages 67-89 Chapter 4. Geometry Pages 91-131 Chapter 5. The Principles of Special Relativity Pages 133-159 Chapter 6. General Relativity Pages 161-208 Chapter 7. The “Old” Quantum Theory Pages 209-248 Chapter 8. The Hilbert Space Formulation of Quantum Mechanics Pages 249-359 Chapter 9. The Algebraic Formulation of Quantum Mechanics Pages 361-415 Chapter 10. Systems With Infinitely Many Degrees of Freedom Pages 417-514 Bibliography Pages 515-541 Index Pages 543-549 This book is primarily intended for Mathematicians, but students in the physical sciences will find here information not usually available in physics texts.

The main aim of this book is to provide a unified mathematical account of the conceptual foundations of 20th-Century Physics, in a form suitable for a one-year survey course in Mathematics or Mathematical Physics. Emphasis is laid on the interlocked historical development of mathematical and physical ideas.