Description: Masters of TheoryAuthor(s): Andrew Warwick Format: Paperback Publisher: The University of Chicago Press, United States Imprint: University of Chicago Press ISBN-13: 9780226873756, 978-0226873756 Synopsis When Isaac Newton published the "Principia" three centuries ago, only a few scholars were capable of understanding his conceptually demanding work. Yet this esoteric knowledge quickly became accessible in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Britain produced many leading mathematical physicists. In this book, Andrew Warwick shows how the education of these "masters of theory" led them to transform our understanding of everything from the flight of a boomerang to the structure of the universe. Warwick focuses on Cambridge University, where many of the best physicists trained. He begins by tracing the dramatic changes in undergraduate education there since the 18th century, especially the gradual emergence of the private tutor as the most important teacher of mathematics. Next he explores the material culture of mathematics instruction, showing how the humble pen and paper so crucial to this study transformed everything from classroom teaching to final examinations. Balancing their intense intellectual work with strenuous physical exercise, the students themselves - known as the "Wranglers" - helped foster the competitive spirit that drove them in the classroom and informed the Victorian ideal of a manly student. Finally, by investigating several historical "cases", such as the reception of Albert Einstein's special and general theories of relativity, Warwick shows how the production, transmission and reception of new knowledge was profoundly shaped by the skills taught to Cambridge undergraduates. Drawing on a wealth of new archival evidence and illustrations, "Master of Theory" examines the origins of a cultural tradition through which the complex world of theoretical physics was made commonplace.
Price: 40.37 GBP
Location: Aldershot
End Time: 2024-12-06T21:28:12.000Z
Shipping Cost: 28.73 GBP
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return postage will be paid by: Buyer
Returns Accepted: Returns Accepted
After receiving the item, your buyer should cancel the purchase within: 60 days
Return policy details:
Book Title: Masters of Theory
Number of Pages: 586 Pages
Language: English
Publication Name: Masters of Theory: Cambridge and the Rise of Mathematical Physics
Publisher: T.H.E. University of Chicago Press
Publication Year: 2003
Subject: Mathematics, History, Physics
Item Height: 229 mm
Item Weight: 820 g
Type: Textbook
Author: Andrew Warwick
Item Width: 164 mm
Format: Paperback
